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By going about it on a very analytical and methodical and rational way. Rationality is about the mechanism, not some particular moral or value content.

You might be asking "but if he was rational, couldn't he see that blackmailing is incompatible with friendship?". Well, if he wanted the trappings of friendship (having a friend group, playmates, hanging out and so on), and not some "genuine bonding", it's not that incompatible.

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> By going about it on a very analytical and methodical and rational way. If the kid was so calculating he would have to ask himself what exactly could he do to force other kids to hand out with him? And he would understand that he has no power of coercion. So he wasn't rational at all, it was just hopeless 'last ditch effort'

>And he would understand that he has no power of coercion.

You'd be surprised. Some get friends literally by being bullies. Others then want to be their friend to avoid being their target.

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