What you've stated is exactly why they can can be subverted. Pretty much every influence, sales, negotiation book will cover these mechanisms. None of this is new.
If you want the short version, read the 6 principles that Cialdini reduced them to.
> "Observing this, and portraying it as something new and abusable is just silly."
Err... no, it is not silly. Techniques like these are routinely used to separate people from their money -- and in the digital age to get people to share ever more information about themselves. Being aware that this is a 'thing' means you can come up with counter-techniques to cope with it. Or just let yourself be manipulated (I guess that should be counted as an option).
Also worth looking at the list of cognitive biases as they're commonly exploited too.
If you want the short version, read the 6 principles that Cialdini reduced them to.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Robert_Cialdini#6_key_principle...
> "Observing this, and portraying it as something new and abusable is just silly."
Err... no, it is not silly. Techniques like these are routinely used to separate people from their money -- and in the digital age to get people to share ever more information about themselves. Being aware that this is a 'thing' means you can come up with counter-techniques to cope with it. Or just let yourself be manipulated (I guess that should be counted as an option).
Also worth looking at the list of cognitive biases as they're commonly exploited too.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_cognitive_biases