Guilt

Guilt-trips are hated for a reason: they're effective. And their purpose is to make you do something different from what you want to do. Or, if you continue doing what you want to do you feel bad about it.
I don't know who invented this weapon, but they must have been a mean, mean person. This stuff is brutal, and yet easy enough for little children to master. Scary.
I'll admit I've pulled it out for my own personal use a time or two, but never understood how scary it is until the following scenario happened tonight:

(Andrea, screaming at the top of her lungs from her bed): MOM! MOM! MOM! MOM, I NEED YOU! MOM! MOOOOOOOOOOOOMMMMMMM!
Enter Jeanette, aka "Mom"
(Net): What do you WANT, Andrea?
(Andrea): You didn't tuck me in.

After performing requested ritual, Mom tells Andrea to go to sleep and promptly leaves the room. Same "conversation" repeats another half-dozen times with slightly varying requests, and not-so-slightly escalating directives to "be quiet and GO TO SLEEP." The final directive includes a new warning of a spanking that will take place if the silence requested is not given...

(Andrea): MOM! MOM! MOM! MOM, I NEED YOU! MOM! MOOOOOOOOOOOOMMMMMMM!
Enter Mom, who goes straight to the bed and starts positioning Andrea for the promised spanking.
(Andrea): Mom?
(Net): WHAT, Andrea?! I told you if you kept this up you'd get a spanking, so now you're going to have a spanking...
(Andrea): Mom, I love you.