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I've always wondered about the effectiveness of courses that claim to teach "Management" or "Negotiation" or "Networking." There's certainly theory to these subjects and practicing in a contrived setting may help, but I suspect there are fairly narrow limits on what can be learned about these subjects in the classroom.

Likewise, I'd be suspicious of a program that claims to "create people who can enter any room and make it their bitch."

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If you've ever studied persuasion, for example Cialdini, you'll find that there are very specific, concrete concepts and techniques presented. The type of theories Cialdini presents can very easily be taken into practice.

Ideas taught in these subjects would have to be nearly purely conceptual. You get the idea, you make sense of it, and it's in you for life. Because of this I think it only makes sense that a majority of such classes should be spent outside the classroom, experimenting and discovering for yourself what works for you. I somehow doubt they are though.

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