Please take a look at Articles on self-defense/conflict/violence for introductions to the references found in the bibliography page.

Please take a look at my bibliography if you do not see a proper reference to a post.

Please take a look at my Notable Quotes

Hey, Attention on Deck!

Hey, NOTHING here is PERSONAL, get over it - Teach Me and I will Learn!


When you begin to feel like you are a tough guy, a warrior, a master of the martial arts or that you have lived a tough life, just take a moment and get some perspective with the following:


I've stopped knives that were coming to disembowel me

I've clawed for my gun while bullets ripped past me

I've dodged as someone tried to put an ax in my skull

I've fought screaming steel and left rubber on the road to avoid death

I've clawed broken glass out of my body after their opening attack failed

I've spit blood and body parts and broke strangle holds before gouging eyes

I've charged into fires, fought through blizzards and run from tornados

I've survived being hunted by gangs, killers and contract killers

The streets were my home, I hunted in the night and was hunted in turn


Please don't brag to me that you're a survivor because someone hit you. And don't tell me how 'tough' you are because of your training. As much as I've been through I know people who have survived much, much worse. - Marc MacYoung

WARNING, CAVEAT AND NOTE

The postings on this blog are my interpretation of readings, studies and experiences therefore errors and omissions are mine and mine alone. The content surrounding the extracts of books, see bibliography on this blog site, are also mine and mine alone therefore errors and omissions are also mine and mine alone and therefore why I highly recommended one read, study, research and fact find the material for clarity. My effort here is self-clarity toward a fuller understanding of the subject matter. See the bibliography for information on the books. Please make note that this article/post is my personal analysis of the subject and the information used was chosen or picked by me. It is not an analysis piece because it lacks complete and comprehensive research, it was not adequately and completely investigated and it is not balanced, i.e., it is my personal view without the views of others including subject experts, etc. Look at this as “Infotainment rather then expert research.” This is an opinion/editorial article/post meant to persuade the reader to think, decide and accept or reject my premise. It is an attempt to cause change or reinforce attitudes, beliefs and values as they apply to martial arts and/or self-defense. It is merely a commentary on the subject in the particular article presented.


Note: I will endevor to provide a bibliography and italicize any direct quotes from the materials I use for this blog. If there are mistakes, errors, and/or omissions, I take full responsibility for them as they are mine and mine alone. If you find any mistakes, errors, and/or omissions please comment and let me know along with the correct information and/or sources.



“What you are reading right now is a blog. It’s written and posted by me, because I want to. I get no financial remuneration for writing it. I don’t have to meet anyone’s criteria in order to post it. Not only I don’t have an employer or publisher, but I’m not even constrained by having to please an audience. If people won’t like it, they won’t read it, but I won’t lose anything by it. Provided I don’t break any laws (libel, incitement to violence, etc.), I can post whatever I want. This means that I can write openly and honestly, however controversial my opinions may be. It also means that I could write total bullshit; there is no quality control. I could be biased. I could be insane. I could be trolling. … not all sources are equivalent, and all sources have their pros and cons. These needs to be taken into account when evaluating information, and all information should be evaluated.” - God’s Bastard, Sourcing Sources (this applies to this and other blogs by me as well; if you follow the idea's, advice or information you are on your own, don't come crying to me, it is all on you do do the work to make sure it works for you!)



“You should prepare yourself to dedicate at least five or six years to your training and practice to understand the philosophy and physiokinetics of martial arts and karate so that you can understand the true spirit of everything and dedicate your mind, body and spirit to the discipline of the art.” - cejames (note: you are on your own, make sure you get expert hands-on guidance in all things martial and self-defense)



“All I say is by way of discourse, and nothing by way of advice. I should not speak so boldly if it were my due to be believed.” - Montaigne


I am not a leading authority on any one discipline that I write about and teach, it is my hope and wish that with all the subjects I have studied it provides me an advantage point that I offer in as clear and cohesive writings as possible in introducing the matters in my materials. I hope to serve as one who inspires direction in the practitioner so they can go on to discover greater teachers and professionals that will build on this fundamental foundation. Find the authorities and synthesize a wholehearted and holistic concept, perception and belief that will not drive your practices but rather inspire them to evolve, grow and prosper. My efforts are born of those who are more experienced and knowledgable than I. I hope you find that path! See the bibliography I provide for an initial list of experts, professionals and masters of the subjects.

OFF-T: What About Those Influencers

Reach, Responsibility, Credentials, and Credibility

What the title means, what qualifications matter, and how to judge authority online


Voices cross the screen
Trust gathers like morning light
Truth must bear its name


A bright badge may shine
But proof lives beneath the glow
Ask who, how, and why


Research article • September 2026


An influencer is a person or organization able to affect what other people notice, believe, discuss, or buy. The influence may come from celebrity, expertise, entertainment, personal experience, community leadership, or the careful cultivation of trust. Social media made the role highly visible, but it did not invent it: clergy, teachers, journalists, athletes, authors, activists, salespeople, and public figures have influenced opinion for generations.


The first essential fact: “influencer” is not a licensed profession

There is no universal government license, college degree, examination, or minimum follower count required to call oneself an influencer in the United States. A person can begin publishing today with no formal training. That is not necessarily a defect. A gifted gardener, mechanic, veteran, artist, caregiver, or patient may communicate valuable knowledge without holding a communications degree.


The absence of a universal license does create confusion, however. Three different things are often called a “credential”: 

  1. a platform status, 
  2. a communications or marketing certificate, and 
  3. a professional qualification in the subject being discussed. 


These are not interchangeable. A verification badge may establish identity. A creator-program approval may establish eligibility to earn money. A marketing certificate may show that coursework was completed. A medical license, law license, or professional registration may establish legal authority to practice in a regulated field. None of these alone guarantees honesty, sound judgment, or good advice.


How influence is built

Most influencers combine several kinds of capital. 

  • Reach is the number of people who may encounter the content. 
  • Engagement is the degree to which people respond, share, save, or act. 
  • Relevance is the fit between the creator, subject, and audience. 
  • Trust is the expectation that the creator is candid and consistent. 
  • Expertise is demonstrated knowledge or skill. 
  • Production ability makes ideas understandable and memorable. 
  • Commercial access connects the creator with 
    • sponsors, 
    • affiliate programs, 
    • products, or 
    • speaking opportunities.


Follower count is therefore only one measurement. A “nano” or “micro” influencer with a small, specialized audience may shape decisions more effectively than a celebrity whose audience is enormous but loosely connected. The familiar labels nano, micro, macro, and mega are marketing conventions, not official ranks, and their numerical boundaries vary among agencies and platforms.


The practical types of credentials

  • Identity and platform credentials A platform badge normally answers a narrow question: has the platform verified some aspect of this account or admitted it to a program? It does not certify the truth of every post or the creator’s mastery of a subject. Instagram offers more than one route associated with a verified badge. 
    • Traditional verification considers whether an account represents an authentic, unique, complete, and notable person or entity. Meta Verified is a subscription with eligibility conditions such as minimum age, availability in the user’s country, an eligible account, and government-issued identification; profile-name rules also apply. These requirements concern identity, account integrity, and service eligibility—not professional competence. YouTube Partner Program eligibility is a monetization threshold, not an academic credential. In eligible regions, the expanded entry level calls for 500 subscribers, three valid public uploads within 90 days, and either 3,000 qualified public watch hours within 12 months or 3 million qualified Shorts views within 90 days.
    • Advertising-revenue eligibility generally requires 1,000 subscribers plus either 4,000 qualified public watch hours within 12 months or 10 million qualified Shorts views within 90 days. Applicants must also satisfy policy, account, and geographic conditions and pass channel review. TikTok’s Creator Rewards Program likewise measures account and content eligibility. Its published criteria include an eligible region, a personal account in good standing, authentic account information, age 18 or older (19 in South Korea), at least 10,000 followers, at least 100,000 video views during the preceding 30 days, and original eligible videos of at least one minute. Those thresholds can change, and meeting them does not confer subject-matter expertise.
  • Communications and marketing education A creator may earn a degree in communications, journalism, marketing, advertising, public relations, film, business, or a subject-specific discipline. Universities, platforms, professional associations, and private companies also offer certificates in content strategy, analytics, search optimization, advertising, brand safety, editing, and audience development.
    • Requirements range from watching a brief online course to completing graduate study, supervised work, an examination, continuing education, and an enforceable code of ethics. When evaluating such a credential, ask who issued it, whether admission required prior education or experience, whether competence was independently assessed, how identity was verified, whether the credential expires, whether continuing education is required, and whether disciplinary results are public. A certificate of course completion is evidence of study; it is not automatically professional certification.
    • The Communication Management Professional (CMP) and Strategic Communication Management Professional (SCMP), for example, are experience-based professional communications certifications associated with the Global Communication Certification Council.
    • Published guidance describes CMP as aimed at practitioners with roughly six to eight years of experience and SCMP at senior practitioners with roughly eight to eleven years, together with application and examination requirements.
  • Subject-matter credentials The most important credentials usually come from the field about which the influencer speaks. A beauty creator reviewing lipstick does not ordinarily require a license. A person diagnosing skin disease, prescribing treatment, managing investments, practicing law, or providing individualized clinical nutrition may cross into activities regulated by state or federal law. 
    • The precise boundary depends on what the person says, whether advice is individualized, whether compensation is involved, where creator and audience are located, and the applicable law. For health content, a physician’s MD or DO degree is not the same as an active medical license, and a medical license is not the same as board certification in a specialty.
    • State medical boards issue and discipline licenses. The Federation of State Medical Boards reports that all state boards require at least one year of postgraduate training for a full and unrestricted license, while some require two or three years; applicants also face education, examination, character, and state-specific requirements. 
    • Viewers should verify the license directly with the relevant state board and look for restrictions or disciplinary history. For nutrition content, the Registered Dietitian or Registered Dietitian Nutritionist credential is substantially different from an unregulated promotional label. For new examination eligibility, the Commission on Dietetic Registration lists a graduate degree from a recognized accredited institution or equivalent, ACEND-accredited nutrition coursework, and ACEND-accredited supervised practice before the registration examination.
    • State licensure rules may add further requirements. By contrast, the word “nutritionist” by itself may be regulated differently from one state to another. For personal finance, CFP® certification is voluntary but demanding. The CFP Board summarizes the path as four E’s: education, examination, experience, and ethics. It includes approved coursework, a bachelor’s degree, passing the CFP examination, qualifying financial-planning experience, an ethics declaration, and a background check. Certification is not identical to government registration. Someone who, for compensation, gives advice about securities may fall under federal or state investment-adviser law; registration status can be checked through official regulatory databases.
    • A viral stock opinion, a registered investment adviser, and a CFP professional are three different categories. Similar distinctions apply elsewhere. Lawyers are admitted and regulated by jurisdiction; mental-health clinicians, nurses, accountants, real-estate professionals, contractors, and many other occupations have their own licenses or protected designations. An influencer who truthfully describes personal experience may not need a license, but personal experience should not be presented as a universal diagnosis, guaranteed outcome, or substitute for individualized professional care.


What every commercial influencer is required to do

Although there is no general influencer license, commercial endorsements are not a law-free zone. The Federal Trade Commission’s Endorsement Guides apply ordinary truth-in-advertising principles to social media. When a creator has a material connection to a brand—such as payment, employment, a family relationship, free merchandise, discounts, commissions, or another benefit—that connection should be disclosed clearly and conspicuously when it would not otherwise be obvious.


A useful disclosure is hard to miss and easy to understand. It should appear with the endorsement, not hidden on a profile page, buried after many hashtags, or placed where viewers must click “more.” In video, disclosure may need to be both visible and audible, repeated when necessary, and understandable to the audience. Plain terms such as “ad,” “advertisement,” “sponsored,” or a direct statement that a product was free are generally clearer than vague abbreviations. Built-in platform tools can help, but the FTC cautions creators not to assume a tool alone makes the disclosure adequate.


Endorsements must also be truthful. A creator should not claim an experience that did not occur, make unsupported objective claims, or repeat a sponsor’s assertion without a reasonable basis. Disclosure does not cure a false statement. Brands also have responsibilities: 

  • they should give appropriate guidance, 
  • monitor sponsored posts, and 
  • address failures. 


Copyright, trademark, privacy, contest, tax, employment, and industry-specific rules may also apply.


A credible influencer’s working qualifications

Because the title is open to everyone, credibility is best judged as a pattern of conduct. A responsible influencer 

  • identifies the source of important claims, 
  • distinguishes fact from opinion, 
  • corrects mistakes visibly, 
  • explains limits, 
  • discloses financial interests, 
  • avoids manufactured engagement, 
  • protects audience privacy, and 
  • refuses to make claims that exceed training. 


Professional habits often matter more than ornamental letters after a name.


For someone building a responsible practice, the sensible requirements are: 

  • choose a defined subject and audience; 
  • learn the platform’s rules; 
  • develop writing, speaking, editing, accessibility, and analytics skills; 
  • keep records of sponsorships and permissions; 
  • use written agreements; 
  • disclose material connections; 
  • substantiate factual advertising claims; 
  • obtain business and tax advice when needed; and 
  • acquire the license or certification required before offering regulated services. 


A media kit can document audience demographics, typical reach, engagement methodology, prior collaborations, content standards, and rates—but it should never disguise purchased followers or selective statistics.


How to verify an influencer before trusting advice

Begin with identity. 

  • Is there a real name, organization, or accountable business behind the account? 
  • Then verify—not merely read—the claimed qualification. 
  • Search the issuing board’s official database, confirm that the credential is current, check its scope, and review public disciplinary information. 
  • Look for original sources behind strong claims. 
  • Examine whether the creator stays within a consistent field or suddenly becomes an expert on every trending subject.


Next, follow the money. 

  • Look for sponsorship, 
  • affiliate links, 
  • free products, 
  • ownership interests, 
  • referral fees, 
  • discount codes, 
  • paid communities, or 
  • a product the influencer sells. 


Financial interest does not make a claim false, but concealed interest prevents the audience from judging it fairly. Also examine the language: certainty, urgency, secret knowledge, guaranteed results, fear, social proof, and attacks on all outside authorities are warning signs. Genuine expertise is usually willing to state uncertainty and show how a conclusion could be tested.


Counter-argument: credentials can become a gatekeeping illusion

A fair objection is that credential culture can protect institutions more than the public. Formal programs can be expensive, slow, geographically limited, or shaped by professional insiders. Capable people may learn through apprenticeships, long practice, lived experience, military service, craftsmanship, caregiving, or independent study. Some credentialed experts communicate badly or behave unethically, while an uncredentialed creator may investigate carefully, admit uncertainty, and offer unusually useful demonstrations. Platform audiences can also expose mistakes faster than traditional institutions.


That objection is persuasive up to a point. Credentials are not proof of wisdom, and lack of credentials is not proof of ignorance. Yet the answer is not to treat all claims as equal. Good credentials provide evidence that minimum education, examination, supervised experience, ethics, or continuing competence has been assessed. In high-stakes fields, licensure also creates accountability and a place for the public to complain. The sound position is proportional: demand stronger evidence as the potential harm increases. A cooking preference may require little more than honest demonstration; advice about cancer treatment, retirement assets, or legal rights demands verifiable expertise and careful limits.


Conclusion

Influence is the ability to move attention or behavior; it is not itself a profession, license, or guarantee of knowledge. The most trustworthy creators combine 

  • transparent identity, 
  • relevant competence, 
  • honest disclosures, 
  • evidence, 
  • ethical restraint, and 
  • a record that survives verification. 


Badges and follower counts tell you something about an account. Credentials tell you something about training or authority. Conduct tells you whether the person deserves continued trust. The wise viewer examines all three.


Credential and Badge Quick Reference

Claim or marker

What it generally establishes

What it does not establish

Verified badge

Identity/account eligibility under platform rules

Truth, expertise, or freedom from conflicts

Creator-program status

Audience/content thresholds and policy review

Academic or professional qualification

Course certificate

Completion of stated instruction

Independent competence unless rigorously assessed

Professional certification

Standards set by a certifying organization

Government permission unless law gives it that role

Occupational license

Legal authorization within a jurisdiction and scope

Specialty mastery or good judgment in every matter

Follower count

Potential reach

Authenticity, engagement quality, or correctness


Bibliography

Federal Trade Commission. “Endorsements, Influencers, and Reviews.” https://www.ftc.gov/business-guidance/advertising-marketing/endorsements-influencers-reviews

Federal Trade Commission. “Disclosures 101 for Social Media Influencers.” https://www.ftc.gov/system/files/documents/plain-language/1001a-influencer-guide-508_1.pdf

Federal Trade Commission. “FTC’s Endorsement Guides: What People Are Asking.” Revised June 2023. https://www.ftc.gov/business-guidance/resources/ftcs-endorsement-guides-what-people-are-asking

Google YouTube Help. “Overview of the Expanded YouTube Partner Program.” https://support.google.com/youtube/answer/13429240

Google YouTube Help. “How to Earn Money on YouTube.” https://support.google.com/youtube/answer/72857

TikTok Support. “Creator Rewards Program.” https://support.tiktok.com/en/business-and-creator/creator-rewards-program/creator-rewards-program

Meta, Instagram Help Center. “Eligibility Requirements for Meta Verified Creator Subscriptions.” https://www.facebook.com/help/instagram/2419286908233223

Meta, Instagram Help Center. “Requirements to Apply for a Verified Badge on Instagram.” https://www.facebook.com/help/instagram/312685272613322

Global Communication Certification Council / IABC. “Certification.” https://www.iabc.com/events-and-education/certification

Federation of State Medical Boards. “About Physician Licensure.” https://www.fsmb.org/u.s.-medical-regulatory-trends-and-actions/guide-to-medical-regulation-in-the-united-states/about-physician-licensure/

Commission on Dietetic Registration. “RD Examination—Eligibility Requirements.” https://www.cdrnet.org/RDNeligibility

CFP Board. “The Certification Process.” https://www.cfp.net/certification-process

U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission. “Investment Adviser Marketing.” https://www.sec.gov/newsroom/press-releases/2020-334

Financial Industry Regulatory Authority. “Social Media.” https://www.finra.org/rules-guidance/key-topics/social-media

Word count: 2,157 (article, haiku, title, and reference table; bibliography excluded)

Page 1


🀄️🀄️🀄️🀄️🀄️🀄️🀄️🀄️🀄️🀄️🀄️🀄️🀄️🀄️🀄️🀄️


ARE INFLUENCERS JUST GLORIFIED SALESPEOPLE?

A direct answer: No—but the criticism is often justified.


THE VERDICT: Influencers are not merely salespeople by definition. Yet whenever their principal purpose is to persuade followers to buy, subscribe, click, donate, vote, or adopt a brand, they are performing a sales or promotional function—often dressed in the warmer language of friendship, lifestyle, education, or authenticity.


Why the answer can be yes

The strongest case for saying yes is straightforward: many influencers earn money by changing consumer behavior. They receive 

  • sponsorship fees, 
  • free merchandise, 
  • affiliate commissions, 
  • advertising revenue, 
  • referral payments, or 
  • income from their own products. 


Their commercial value is measured by 

  • reach, 
  • engagement, 
  • conversion, and 
  • the audience’s willingness to act. 


Those are sales and marketing outcomes.


Traditional salespeople normally approach customers openly as representatives of a business. Influencers can be more persuasive because the commercial message is woven into ordinary life. A product appears during a morning routine, family story, workout, review, tutorial, or personal confession. The recommendation can feel like advice from a familiar person rather than a pitch from a company. This relationship is sometimes called parasocial: 

the viewer feels acquainted with the creator even though the relationship is largely one-sided.


That appearance of friendship (one of the sales worlds principles of influence) can make influencer selling especially powerful. The creator is not simply describing a product; the creator may be selling an identity: 

  • use this clothing to look like me, 
  • buy this equipment to train like me, 
  • take this course to achieve my success, or 
  • follow this lifestyle to belong to my community. 

☯️☯️☯️☯️☯️☯️☯️☯️☯️☯️☯️☯️☯️☯️☯️☯️

Here's a synopsis:


The 7 Principles Reciprocity: 

People feel obliged to return favors, gifts, or free samples after receiving them first.


  • Commitment and Consistency: People want their future actions and beliefs to match past commitments they already made.
  • Social Proof: People look at the actions and behaviors of others to decide what to do, especially when they feel unsure.
  • Authority: People trust and follow credible experts, leaders, or knowledgeable figures.
  • Liking: People say yes more often to individuals they know, like, or share traits with.
  • Scarcity: People want items or opportunities more when availability is low or time is running out.
  • Unity: People are deeply influenced by those who share a collective identity, group, or "tribe". 


[1] (https://www.influenceatwork.com/7-principles-of-persuasion/)

☯️☯️☯️☯️☯️☯️☯️☯️☯️☯️☯️☯️☯️☯️☯️☯️

In that sense, “glorified salesperson” can be a fair description when entertainment, intimacy, or claimed expertise is mainly a wrapper around repeated commercial persuasion.


NoteMe: Exactly, they just found a better way to persuade people to buy stuff for product profit and hiding sales behind "like-button dressing" since the sales game has waned a bit ..,

☯️☯️☯️☯️☯️☯️☯️☯️☯️☯️☯️☯️☯️☯️☯️☯️

Why the answer can also be no

Influence is broader than selling. Some creators teach a skill, document history, explain science, share art, report news, advocate for a cause, preserve a tradition, entertain an audience, or build a community. A person may influence opinions and behavior without recommending a single commercial product. Teachers, authors, clergy, journalists, veterans, craftspeople, and community leaders can all influence people without being salespeople.


NoteMe: yet, how or why through influencer models if not to move people into some form of profit be it monetary or some other philosophical  gain by whomever created the item or issue?


Even when an influencer accepts sponsorships, selling may finance rather than define the work. Newspapers sell advertising without every journalist becoming a salesperson. Television programs contain commercials without every actor becoming a product representative. Likewise, a creator may produce substantial independent work and occasionally use sponsorship revenue to pay for equipment, research, travel, editing, or time.


The important distinction is editorial independence. 

  • Does the creator choose subjects and conclusions honestly, or does payment dictate the message? 
  • Can the creator criticize a sponsor, disclose limitations, refuse unsuitable offers, and tell the audience when evidence is uncertain? 


The more control the sponsor exercises, and the more the creator’s income depends on favorable recommendations, the closer the role moves toward commissioned sales.


A more accurate description

Many influencers are hybrid figures: 

  • part entertainer, 
  • part publisher, 
  • part community leader, 
  • part advertiser, and 
  • part salesperson. 


Calling all of them salespeople is too broad. Pretending that commercial influencers are merely neutral friends or independent experts is too generous.


A useful test is to ask five questions:

  1. What is being sold—an outside product, the creator’s own product, an idea, a political position, access, attention, or the creator’s personal brand?
  2. How is the influencer paid—flat sponsorship fee, commission, free product, advertising share, subscription, donation, or no compensation?
  3. Is the financial or personal connection disclosed clearly before the audience acts?
  4. Would the influencer probably make the same claim if no money, access, status, or free merchandise were involved?
  5. Does the creator provide evidence, acknowledge drawbacks, correct mistakes, and remain within genuine competence?


The bottom line

No, influencers are not all just glorified salespeople. 

BUT 

many are modern salespeople whose storefront is a personality, whose showroom is a social-media feed, and whose chief asset is audience trust. The honest term depends on the creator’s main purpose and conduct.


When creators educate or entertain first and sell openly on the side, “influencer” may describe a legitimate communication role. 


When nearly every story leads to a link, every opinion serves a sponsor, and personal warmth is used to conceal financial persuasion, “glorified salesperson” is not merely an insult—it is an accurate job description.


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