How to Spot a Politician

Politicians seem to be everywhere these days. They are at work or in school--people who use connections, influence and guile to manipulate an outcome to their advantage. Spotting a politician is a useful skill to have because being forewarned is being forearmed.

Instructions

Difficulty: Moderately Challenging

1. Take note if the person refuses to take a position on anything. When she answers a question, does she go off on tangents that avoid the premise of the original question?
2. Determine if the person finds every conversation interesting and engaging. Most people will find at least some subjects boring or banal. The politician will take particular interest in every topic posed so as to not anger or alienate anyone driving the conversation.
3. Observe the person in different group settings. Does the person's personality change to ingratiate themselves to the particular audience? Most people will find themselves uncomfortable in certain crowds, but the politician can assimilate effectively into any gathering.
4. Monitor the physical posture and verbal intonations of the person. The politician has a persona that is overly masculine and driven. When in a group of people, this person may invade other people's physical space and raise his voice and tenor unnecessarily.
5. Scrutinize the person's intentions. Politicians invariably say and usually think they have everyone's best interest at heart. This is impossible, but some politicians believe this, and most say it. It is simply not possible to make policy and legislation with every single person's best interests at the forefront.

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