Communication is Power

Many may think that they are strong enough to resist the influence of impressive communication skills. But little do they know, we are all extremely vulnerable to the power of communication. It is somewhat terrifying how a person with the right self-presentation skills, group interaction and leadership skills, and presentation skills are able to get large groups of people to do just what they want!

Examples of this can be seen throughout history. One of these examples would be the Jonestown Massacre.

"In the mid-1970s, several hundred members of the Peoples Temple, a California-based religious cult, emigrated to Guyana under the guidance of their leader, Reverend Jim Jones. Their aim was to found a model interracial community, called Jonestown, based on "love, hard work and spiritual enlightenment." In November 1978, Congressman Leo Ryan of California flew to Jonestown to investigate reports that some of the members were being held against their will. He visited the commune and found that several residents wanted to return with him to the United States. Reverend Jones agreed they could leave, but as Ryan was boarding a plane, he and several other members of his party were shot and killed by a member of the Peoples Temple, apparently on Jones's orders. On hearing that several members of Ryan's party had escaped, Jones grew despondent and began to speak over the public address system about the beauty of dying and the certainty that everyone would meet again in another place. The residents lined up in a pavilion in front of a vat containing a mixture of Kool Aid and cyanide. According to a survivor, almost all of the residents drank willingly of the death solution. At least eighty babies and infants were given poison by their parents, who then drank it themselves. More than eight hundred people died, including Rev.Jones."

- Fifth edition Social Psychology

Upon reading this, I found the phrase "Communition is Power" to be extremely true. This power is divided into 6 types and they all explain the actions of the eight hundred people who let Jim Jones lead them to their deaths.

1. Legitimate power

When others believe you have a right- by virtue of position- to influence or control their behaviors.

Reverend Jones, as head of the Peoples Temple, was believed to have the right to tell the people what they should do to achieve happiness. It was his position that made his words believable even to adults with matured minds.

2. Referent power

When others wish to be like you.

Many would like to believe that Rev.Jones was a monstrous man and looked that way too. But pictures show that he was an attractive, charismatic young man. He was always well dressed and carried himself very well. He projected the image of a person everyone admired and wished to be like and so they took his words to heart.

3. Reward power

When you control the rewards that others want.

After the horrifying massacre, Jonestown was raided and survivors were interviewed. It was found that Jim Jones allowed his people only small amounts of plain rice to eat and kept eggs, soft drinks and other food items in his own private fridge to use as rewards for the people who serve him. With him holding a reward so important to the mass of hungry people, it is understandable that they listen to everything he said!

4. Coercive power

When you have the ability to administer punishments to or remove rewards from others when they do not do as you wish.

It is also found that those in Jonestown who disobeyed or attempted to escaped were beaten or even drugged and caged. After witnessing this, most people would simply give up and just go along with whatever Jim Jones and his men said.

5. Expert power

When others see you as having expertise or special knowledge.

The members of the Peoples Temple believed Reverend Jim Jones's words the way normal Christians believe the words of their pastor. They believed that Reverend Jones was an expert on and had special knowledge about their religion and god and so they listened to everythig he said.

6. Information power

When others see you as having the ability to communicate logically and persuasively.

It is said that Jim Jones had amazing public speaking skills. For every thing he did, every thing he made his people do, he came up with a reason that made sense to them. After being on the receiving end of his speeches for so long, they started seeing him as a reasonable, logical person and believed everything he said.

After some analyzing, you will realize that the actions of those 800 people were horrifying, but not unbelievable, and not without reason. Scary, isn't it? That one person with impressive communication skills has managed to cause the greatest single loss of American civilian life in a non-natural disaster until September 11th.

Tan Huey Li