Discussing "The Secrets of Controlling People" (Tajniki Sterowania Ludźmi)

This is NOT an online meeting but an in-person meeting.
Reading the book is not required.

During the book discussion the leader of the discussion presents the most interesting parts of the book. The great emphasis is placed on discussion.

Book Description

The book discussed will be Tajniki Sterowania Ludźmi by Józef Kossecki.
You can check this book in my livestream videos (I read it in polish).

“Tajniki Sterowania Ludźmi” (The Secrets of Controlling People) by Józef Kossecki is one of the more accessible and provocative texts in Polish cybernetics. In this book, Kossecki attempts to translate the abstract principles of cybernetic regulation, information flows, and system control into the realm of human behavior, social influence, and political processes.

Although the title sounds sensationalistic, the book is less about manipulation in the pop-psych sense and more about how systems—individuals, groups, institutions, states—attempt to regulate one another using information, energy, feedback loops, and decision-making mechanisms.

Discussion Topics

• What counts as “control”? - Is Kossecki’s cybernetic definition of “sterowanie” (control) useful for understanding human behavior and social systems? How does it differ from everyday language around manipulation or influence?
• Information as the key resource - Kossecki often frames information as the central tool of control. Do you find this convincing? In today’s environment—AI, social media, misinformation—does his framework feel even more relevant, or outdated?
• Practical applicability - Which parts of the book could realistically be applied today—e.g., in organizations, politics, media—and which feel more theoretical or ideological?