Snakelips #3

Dear Snakelips,

Yes, in fact conversation can be greatly rendered to our advantage. There are several techniques that allow for hours of conversation and very little being said. The first is the universal agreement technique. Train your patient to think people will only like her if she constantly repeats and rephrases her fellows thoughts. This is marketed as a communication technique, and indeed it can be, but when we twist it and enhance it the conversation descends into a series of agreements. It is best when this is used on frivolous themes, even mindless over-agreement can be damaging if it is on something the Enemy loves. On those topics I would recommend the "intellectual approach". This should look like a bunch of people trying to understand each others opinions solely in order to disagree. The smaller the nuance of disagreement the better (it is easier to misunderstand small details).
Ahh, Snakelips I love this art. I wrote previously to Wormwood about types of humour, the most effective being flippancy. This is another good tactic to employ once you have the disagreements broiling. When everyone is on edge have your patient mock or brush off someone's comment by repeating it derisively. Many a valuable servant of the Enemy has been ruined by this very technique (whether being used by or against them!). We are at war my dear Snakelips. And although the Enemy's propaganda says that He has already won it, that is fal... I cannot seem to finish that word. Suffice it to say that Our Father Below is still confident in his chances.
There are so many tactics that are simply useful to alienate and irritate. Such as promoting condescension in your patient, or mundane nervous tics and peculiarities. We can't always stop them from saying dangerous things but we can hopefully make it harder for people to listen. Never underestimate the power of cultivating personal dislike. These humans love to take offence.

Yours in the superlative Hatred,
Screwtape