coaxing

Coaxing is the act of gently persuading someone to do something by repeated, gentle urging, often accompanied by support or reassurance rather than pressure. It relies on patience, relationship-building, and attention to the other person's concerns, rather than coercion or threats. The term is used across everyday speech to describe efforts to win agreement through warmth and reasonable steps.

Common contexts include parenting, caregiving, teaching, and animal training. Examples include encouraging a hesitant child to try a new food, coaxing a shy pet to come closer, or persuading a colleague to adopt a proposal by outlining benefits and reducing perceived risk. Coaxing aims to make the desired action feel voluntary rather than forced.

Techniques typically involve building rapport, listening to concerns, highlighting practical advantages, breaking tasks into manageable steps, offering choices, and presenting optional incentives or gentle rewards. The approach seeks to lower resistance by reducing fear, effort, and uncertainty, while preserving the other person's autonomy.

Ethical considerations emphasize that coaxing can veer into manipulation if it relies on deception, excessive flattery, or persistent pressure. Effectiveness depends on trust, relationship quality, and context. When used transparently and respectfully, coaxing can reduce distress and help cooperation; when overused or insincere, it can foster resentment or dependence.

Etymology is uncertain; the word's English usage appears in the 17th century, and it is related in connotation to cajole and wheedle, which express similar forms of social influence with varying degrees of assertiveness and sincerity.