Beware semantic attacks!

Abstract

The ways of Human orienting when confronting the semantic constructs aimed at manipulation is analyzed. Some reasons and circumstances affecting the quality of the understanding of real motives and objectives of the communicator are considered. Those are: the phenomenon of virtuality, that is peculiar to any communication process; different levels of communicative skills of the audience; specific characteristics of latent motive and target structures in manipulative materials; the influence of modern scientific concepts on what is the meaning on the forms and methods of communication that are employed in the society.