Bob’ing for Apples: Recruiting For the Erisian Liberation Front

[Bebek Sincap Ratatosk]

Bob'ing for Apples: Recruiting For the Erisian Liberation Front

Recruiting may seem like a bad word to some Discordians. Let me preface this post by separating the terms Recruiting and Converting. Conversion usually includes the indoctrination of individuals to a specific set of beliefs and perceptions. We will not be discussing conversion here. Recruitment may include conversion, but conversion is not necessary.  The only three things necessary for a ELF recruit is the ability to take some joy/satisfaction out of causing chaos, a willingness to play a game of directed chaos (rather than something more Dadaist) and the bandwidth to actively participate. It doesn't matter if they like to say 'fnord', it doesn't matter if you found them at "The 23 Club"... if they will enjoy the Game we're about to play and if they can/will play along, then they have all the necessary components of an ELF operative.

So how do you go about recruiting them?

First, recruit ONLY from groups of people that you can identify with in some way. It is not necessary that you think exactly like them, or believe like they do or even hold the same sorts of perceptions... it is only necessary for you to IDENTIFY with them in some way. Since we aren't attempting Conversion, the specific beliefs, ideas and perceptions of the individuals are immaterial to the recruitment... all that is necessary is a way to hook the target. There are 6,000,000,000 Discordians on the planet and most of them don't even know that they have a pineal gland. If you really are not able to wrap your brain around ZOMG23PINEALLAWOFFIVESFNORD then don't. Go find other like minded pranksters to bring into the fold and leave the Erisians to ELF recruiters that can grok their game.

To find a way of identifying with the target (individual or website) read through whatever they may have posted. Look for clues as to what concepts they find really interesting. If they appear POEE inclined, then bringing them to the ELF may be as simple as crafting an invitation that plays to that particular memeset. You and I, dear reader, may know the difference between a meme and a fnord... but that doesn't mean we can't use the confusion some others may have to our advantage. If they like Fnords, use fnords, if you can handle using fnords.

No matter how badly romantics would like to believe that Opposites Attract, Like attracts like far more often. If a potential recruit thinks that you are similar to them, it appears far more likely that they will listen to you. Again, it shouldn't take much to encourage Discordians to come play.

Lay out a profile, if you need to. List what you know about the target or targets. If they have familiar themes, use those themes. If they use particular gestures, memes or styles... use them as well. In real life, repeating physical gestures etc a few seconds after the target works wonders. For some reason, the robot considers this sort of repetition as a positive thing. Let their robot do the recruiting if possible. For example, when I started posting here regularly a year ago, I quickly integrated "mittens" "KILL A MOTHERFUCKER", "BiP" etc into my posts, not because these were my beliefs, but because they were tribal identifiers, useful ways of encouraging acceptance of whatever I was writing. Note that there is a difference between 'Thinking for Yourself', and making use of 'tribal communication'. So, if you wanted to recruit from PD.com (example), you might build out a profile that covers the following:

1.   Screen names of the loudest and most prolific writers, as well as notes on their opinions, posting styles etc. These folks are the online equivalent to the 'pillars of a community'... often, even on Discordian forums, these people set the tone, the general disposition and act in some sense as leaders (or other people, in some sense, act as followers). These people are mostly likely going to be first responders; you need to plan for it. Their response may be somewhat hostile, particularly if you're "advertising" a different Forum (territorial robot response). You may be at an advantage to craft your recruitment message in a way that appeals to those 'leaders'.
2.   Lists of favored metaphors/memes: 23, pineal, Fnord, Flax, The Map Is Not The Territory, BiP etc. etc. etc. When crafting your message, try to include some of the more common memes as a link between you and your audience.
3.   Write the message before posting it. Do not click "Post" hack together something in 2 minutes and think it will work without problems. Instead, write the recruitment post in notepad or some other tool like that. Read it through several times. Edit your work. Make sure your post feels like it fits the forum, if its jarring, if its extremely different... it may be Discordian, but its less likely to win recruits. What is YOUR GOAL?
4.   Once you post the message and responses start flowing back in... stay on message. Don't get bogged down in debates, arguments or drama. Your purpose is to recruit, not convince them that 23 isn't actually madjickel, or to defend why anyone should listen to you... Invite and let Eris do the rest.
5.   Pay attention. Everything I just stated is a MAYBE. It's a rule of thumb, it's a set of ideas based on what has worked for me (and other people) in the past. It doesn't always work, sometimes the opposite of what I've said works. THINK FOR YOURSELF SCHMUCK... there is no Normal, there is no Silver Bullet, Magic Bullet or Sure Fire Recruitment Cure from Dr. Snake Oil. Consider these as Good Ideas... but not hardcore rules.

Examples of Recruitment in Action:

Neo, in the Matrix, is recruited using very similar actions; take a look at the First Contact and the later trail left for him to follow 'down the rabbit hole'. 

Consider also what Paul said (an amazing recruiter/convertor):

1 Cor 9:19-22: Though I am free and belong to no man, I make myself a slave to everyone, to win as many as possible. 20 To the Jews I became like a Jew, to win the Jews. To those under the law I became like one under the law (though I myself am not under the law), so as to win those under the law. 21 To those not having the law I became like one not having the law (though I am not free from God's law but am under Christ's law), so as to win those not having the law. 22 To the weak I became weak, to win the weak. I have become all things to all men so that by all possible means I might save some.

Another Biblical example:

While Paul was waiting for them in Athens, he was greatly distressed to see that the city was full of idols. 17 So he reasoned in the synagogue with the Jews and the God-fearing Greeks, as well as in the marketplace day by day with those who happened to be there. 18 A group of Epicurean and Stoic philosophers began to dispute with him. Some of them asked, "What is this babbler trying to say?" Others remarked, "He seems to be advocating foreign gods." They said this because Paul was preaching the good news about Jesus and the resurrection. 19 Then they took him and brought him to a meeting of the Areopagus, where they said to him, "May we know what this new teaching is that you are presenting? 20 You are bringing some strange ideas to our ears, and we want to know what they mean." 21 (All the Athenians and the foreigners who lived there spent their time doing nothing but talking about and listening to the latest ideas.)
22 Paul then stood up in the meeting of the Areopagus and said: "Men of Athens! I see that in every way you are very religious. 23 For as I walked around and looked carefully at your objects of worship, I even found an altar with this inscription: TO AN UNKNOWN GOD. Now what you worship as something unknown I am going to proclaim to you.

There are lots of tricks and psychological angles you can use to get people to like you. Cain has some fantastic resources which discuss many of those ideas, but for simple recruitment I hope the above is useful.

Consider not only recruiting from the web, but also recruiting IRL. Surely there are some counter-culture places in your area where potential Children of Eris gather regularly. Leave piles of flyers, if someone talks to you about it... don't make fun of their lame goth makeup or their pathetic collection of Magic:The Gathering Cards (you can do that later). Find a way to identify with the target, keep your conversation on message... feel free to wander about on various topics, but keep your focus on recruiting the body, not converting the mind. The mind conversion will likely happen to any member of the ELF given enough exposure. Often self-conversion based on experiences works better than getting preached at anyway.

Even the most Enlightened Discordian, seems, at best, able to grab the controls of his robot for brief and fleeting moments of lucidity.  Sadly, we are all greater robots than we realize. If you, while recruiting, piss off the robots... your message is far more likely to fall on deaf ears. Human robots have things like territorial instincts; often their 'territory' is a territory of ideas, memes and beliefs. If your first act upon entering their area is to PISS ALL OVER their territory, the response will likely be a robot engaging in a turf war... no matter how interesting and useful the Discordian inside might have been, had you not tripped his automated response.

Shock therapy works. "FUCK WHAT YOU KNOW ABOUT CHAOS" works... but they work for manipulating the mind, forcing new ideas or philosophical reboots. While these are fantastic tools and lofty goals, they aren't the focus when recruiting (at least not as far as I'm concerned, Do As Thou Will).

So there you have it, a quick primer on recruitment as focused on ELF activity. I can write more if people have more questions... otherwise, this should hopefully provide you with some ideas of how to do your own recruiting. Or you can ignore it and make fun of me in the follow up posts.

Keep the lasagna flying.

[Jasper]

There are some key ideas I noticed there.

The thing about being as many people's slave as possible?  Not that being a pleaser is good, but it is often said that "to make friends, be a friend."  I think there is some important idea in this somewhere.

[Cramulus]

[barumunk]

Bob'ing for Apples: Recruiting For the Erisian Liberation Front
don't make fun of their lame goth makeup or their pathetic collection of Magic:The Gathering Cards (you can do that later).

hey whats wrong with magic cards!!!!!

... but seriously that was a great post. really dug it!

i've bin trying to get my hands on that nlp pack form cain, and i see you mention elements from those ideas. like the emulating someones actions to make them more comfortable with what you're saying.

anyway... great post!

[Bebek Sincap Ratatosk]

Bob'ing for Apples: Recruiting For the Erisian Liberation Front
don't make fun of their lame goth makeup or their pathetic collection of Magic:The Gathering Cards (you can do that later).

hey whats wrong with magic cards!!!!!

... but seriously that was a great post. really dug it!

i've bin trying to get my hands on that nlp pack form cain, and i see you mention elements from those ideas. like the emulating someones actions to make them more comfortable with what you're saying.

anyway... great post!

*quickly hides several large boxes full of cards and decks*

Yeah, Magic is teh dum

Actually, I was referencing Cain's "recruiting" package... I think he linked to it one of the related threads.

[The Apex, The Harmony Of]

Something that im starting doing:
Lots of people I know want to read lots of books, but simply dont have the time.
Go through books and write down important (what you personally thinks important, or what you think the recipient might take as important) sections from books and give them a condensed version in notes, diary form etc, a quick and general overview.
If theres sections that are big like a chapter, make references and notes to whole pages to be read and if they want to read it, write/print it and give it to them.

[LMNO]