Social Engineering and Beliefs: Fear an Urgency

[Kaplok Kaplok]

Fear is one of the most primal instinct of a human being. Fear is a trait that allowed human beings to survive for as long there are humans, avoiding danger, pain, injury or death.

According to Maslow, human needs can be arranged to heirarchy of importance, with the most important on the top. But when fear sets in, dealing with the subject of fear becomes surely on top of the of the priority list.

Fear, although being an important trait for survival, through social engineering, it can be exploited against the one who experience it. Here is an example of this at play which might also be familiar to you:

BUDOL
One late weekday morning, after taking her alaga to school, and running errands, Yaya Malou went home was so ready to take her well deserved rest. A text message popped on her phone. It was from an unrecognized number.

" MALOU NAAKSIDENTE AKO. NAKIKITXT LANG AKO KASI NCRA ANG CELPON KO. NASA OSPITAL AKO NGAUN KELANGAN KO NG PERA."

"KUNIN MO YUNG PERA KO S KWARTO SAKA MGA ALAHAS NA RIN. DALHIN MO D2. PAKIBILISAN MO PLS"

Yaya Malou was so convinced that it was her lady amo by the way she was addresses and how assertive the texter was. She rushed to the master's bedroom and took what she can find. As she was ready to go to the hospital, she asked the her lady amo which hospital they are in.

"PINAPUNTA KO NLNG JAN SA KANTO YUNG KAIBIGAN KO SIYA MAGDADALA DITO. DALIAN MO PLS."

She hands the item to the man wearing a helmet and went home, worried if she took too long, and if lady amo is doing okay. She sounded like she was in a hurry, but at least she is capable of texting so, she must be okay.
"Ako na nga tumulong papagalitan pa ako. Hindi ko naman trabaho yun. Pasalamat sila andito ako" She chuckles to herself assured herself that she won't be in trouble. But it will only be a matter of time when lady amo gets home from work, and Yaya Malou realizes her grave mistake. She might even get accused of being in collusion with the perpetrators.

WHY DOES IT WORK?
Fear - Obviously, it is fear that is the driving force. This is one of the emotion that causes a person to forget about completely assessing the situation.

Urgency - the illusion of 'time is running out', aside from fear already muddying the victim's judgement, the rush also lessens the time of making a good judgement.

Potential Praise - while not commonly expressed, this emotion plays a big part. A bad judgement is often shrouded in potential praise, making it seem like a very "obvious" choice, making a cycle of positive reinforcement towards a certain conclusion.

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This is not to say that this only occur in unethical practices. In fact we are surrounded by fear inducing, urgent, and potential source of praise - in a way that is deemed legal ethical. Every money earning organization uses this tactic to improve business, from marketing, to daily news, to the religion and politics so on and so forth; Inciting fear of missing out, fear of the unknown, fear of the other, fear of death, to fear of divine retribution; any of this can be employed by a social engineering tactic, assentially making fear trillion dollar business driver.

Are we really that much of a free-thinker and a rational being like we think we are?