Definition
Gradualism is the practice of moving toward a large objective by chaining together many small steps, each one small enough that resisting it feels disproportionate or petty. No single request crosses an obvious line, so the target keeps agreeing — and the cumulative drift carries them somewhere they would have refused to go in one move.
In manipulation contexts, gradualism exploits the fact that people judge each request against the immediately preceding one, not against where they originally stood. Because the baseline keeps shifting, a series of tiny concessions can relocate a person's limits without their noticing.
Why it matters
How it works
Each increment is calibrated to sit just inside the target's comfort zone, so saying yes costs almost nothing. Once granted, that concession becomes the new normal, and the next request is measured against it rather than against the starting point. Compliance also breeds consistency pressure: having agreed several times, the target wants to stay coherent with their earlier self.
The defense is to track the slope rather than the step. Asking what direction the requests are heading, and where the pattern ends if extended, reveals the destination that any single increment conceals.