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Scare tactics use fear or shock to manipulate people into making uninformed decisions or taking rash actions. They are commonly used in politics to instill a sense of fear in the population, even if the threats are not real. Scare tactics can also be used in sports to keep opponents off balance. They must instill a real sense of fear to be effective and are often backed up by tangible evidence.
When it comes to motivating the masses to take action, sometimes hard facts aren’t enough. People who hear a scary statistic or alarming fact often take this information literally and act out of fear. This is the purpose of using “scare tactics,” manipulative words or actions that create a sense of fear or shock in the recipients. These fears, rational or irrational as they may be, are often enough to compel people to make uninformed decisions or take rash actions. Pointing to the worst-case scenario or associating a problem with a much greater threat are tactics commonly used by leaders to garner popular support for military actions or other controversial decisions.
However, scare tactics need not reach the level of verbal terrorism to be effective. Sometimes, the mere mention of a dire alternative can be enough to manipulate others into a certain way of thinking. Successful tactics must instill a real sense of fear, otherwise they can be seen as feeble attempts to sway public opinion. This is why many verbal statements are often backed up by more tangible evidence, such as gruesome photographs, personal testimonies, and displays of force. Hanging a noose over a voting booth, for example, would be an extreme example designed to discourage free elections.
In world politics, scare tactics are quite common as it is generally difficult for a dictator to keep dissidents in check without the threat of violence, real or perceived. As long as the population believes that tactics such as secret police squads, shutting down the free press, political arrests and summary executions are real, organized rebellions become a rarity. The key word in the term is “scare” – it doesn’t matter if most stories of political retaliation are apocryphal or mere rumor, as long as they instill a real sense of fear in the population.
Most scare tactics are not intended to cause harm or widespread harm, but to play on the recipient’s innate sense of security. Many professional athletes use them to keep their opponents off balance, such as a pitcher intentionally throwing a ball close to the hitter or a race car driver touching another car for intimidation purposes. These tactics often prevent an opponent from becoming too comfortable or overconfident. While the use of most is seen as unfair or unethical, the benefit they can provide can be significant. Many scare tactics are designed to stay within the bounds of the law, yet continue to inflict maximum psychological pressure on the intended audience.
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