Hi, I'm Shawn. Nice to meet you. :)
The tendency to see only what we want to, and not what is actually there, is a tool used to keep the people blinded.
Oh no, that one's a freebie. :)
Focus on just the good things, is an easy sell by the powerful manipulators.
No, thats the lazy manipulator's way of taking advantage of the naive. The most powerful tool of the "power manipulators" is the understanding that people will tell you everything you need to know to manipulate them.
Hell, this is an open-non secret that's even been put to music and become a top 40 smash hit:
Cheers!