The best deceptions are the ones that seem to give the other person a choice: Your victims feel they are in control, but are actually your puppets.
Greene, Robert. The 48 Laws of Power.
Give people options that come out in your favor whichever one they choose. Force them to make choices between the lesser of two evils, both of which serve your purpose. Put them on the horns of a dilemma: They are gored wherever they turn.
Greene, Robert. The 48 Laws of Power.
The following are among the most common forms of “controlling the options”:
Color the Choices.
Force the Register.
Alter the Playing Field.
The Shrinking Options.
The Weak Man on the Precipice.
Brothers in Crime.
The Horns of a Dilemma.
Greene, Robert. The 48 Laws of Power.