I love reading articles dealing with psychology, human relations, or communication. I think it’s extremely important for us to learn about each other, and find ways to interact socially to resolve problems.

When I ran across this New York Times article, I couldn’t help but chuckle. The analysis and insight is exceptional.

The article features a debt collector, and discusses the psychological aspects of debt collection. The article points out that there’s a broad mix of relationship building, psychology, and fundamental consumer behavior. You probably already knew that most companies collect vast amounts of data about you, and use that in their advertising and product placement. The shocking thing, as the article notes, is just how specific, and how accurate this information is.

The thing that made me chuckle about the collector’s experience was how much it mirrored my own debt collection experiences. We’d receive continual training and development seminars on improving our collection strategies, thereby improving our commission statistics. The training involved intense role-playing activities, discussions regarding successful collection tactics, and discussions about consumer psyche and behavior.

I suggest that you read this article, and if you’re not "scared of ‘The Man’" already, you will be. After reading this, consider if it’s any wonder that we’re leery of banks who take our money, then use these practices against us.