Manipulation

Define Manipulation: According to dictionary.com

Ma*nip`u*la"tion\, n. [Cf. F. manipulation.]

1. The act or process of manipulating, or the state of being manipulated; the act of handling work by hand; use of the hands, in an artistic or skillful manner, in science or art.

2. The use of the hands in mesmeric operations.

3. Artful management; as, the manipulation of political bodies; sometimes, a management or treatment for purposes of deception or fraud.

My favorite part of that definition is "artful management"- Intentionally changing something to fit our needs and desires, whether it be a physical object or image or someone's action's or emotions.

After Dictionary.com I typed the word manipulation into Google, and along with the usual wiki hits, two "related searches" popped up: "emotional manipulation" and "mind manipulation".

When I first considered the technical definition of the word my mind immediately jumped to an idea of physical manipulation, manually (or digitally) changing the appearance of an object. However, once that change is made whoever happens to gaze upon my freshly manipulated design their mind is forced to work in the same way my mind works. They see what I want them to see, and if I have done my job correctly then their emotions are effected as well. Not only have I manipulated the physical appearance of the image but I have intentionally manipulated the way others think and feel.

Manipulation is a powerful tool.