In previous eras, psychology and the unconscious weren’t studied much and there was not much education on the whole matter. As Carl Jung said though, If you don’t bring the unconscious into awareness, it will steer your life, and you’ll perceive it as destiny. It’s been said in psychology that up top 90% of a person’s behavior and plans for a day are already determined ahead of time and as a result, living the same day over and over again. Things like marketing works because the messages reach our subconscious memory and influences our decisions later on. These influences can be positive, but they can also be negative too. In a world of too much information and media influence, let’s look at the common tactics so that we can avoid fatal errors.
-influence tactics fall into 1 of 6 categories: consistency, reciprocation, social proof, authority, liking, and scarcity
-self-interest (give out as little as possible and receive as much as possible)
-how are some people able to make others into mindless patsy’s?
-with more information and brain-dead passivity. More people will become mindless sheep and obey without thinking
Chapter 1 – weapons of influence
-people have blind mechanical patterns; creatures of habit. Based specifically on certain triggers. Usually right but not always, can be manipulated to be taken advantage of. E.g. people asking for favours and trying to provide a valid reason; and using the word “because”
-shortcut, stereotyped behaviour is prevalent in human nature because it is the most efficient way. Spending time in unimportant matters to make sure you are right is not worth the cost benefit analysis. This will usually work but will be costly big time in certain situations. People assume, are impatient and judgmental and only consider their own opinion
-civilization advances to the extent daily life can be done without thinking. So, as society advances, more people become brain dead sheep. That puts us very vulnerable as prey to people who know psychology and take advantage of psychology. E.g. social media
-insects and animals will often trick other species to death rather than using brute force
-lots of human exploiters who do so with little efforts (the ones who get good at it) which makes them able to manipulate without appearing to manipulate
-e.g. expensive = good and falsely marking up product prices
-contrast principle; of compare, differences are exaggerated
-Defense trigger: like stocks, consider only the task at hand and do not worry about what others are doing or other opportunities. View things statistically and don’t be influenced by distractions. Find true value. A CRV marked at 1M now 100k still overvalued. If I spend $1000, that doesn’t mean I should spend less effort in deciding to spend $200 immediately. A robotic statistical independent thinking approach is the best way
-realtors will use the constraint principle and save the most likely to be purchased for last and intentionally show bad properties first
Chapter 2 – reciprocation
-the old give and take, and take
-reciprocation rule permeates every society. There are some who don’t make any sense I’ve met in life who don’t bother to reciprocate beyond the means they want to or are capable of
-in some aspects reciprocation rule makes sense; those who don’t return the favour in any manner are not worth being around. However, if this is the case, many people become selfish and don’t initiate at all, passive selfishness
-there is a general distaste for those who take and make no effort to give in return
-however, this feeling of indebtedness can be taken advantage of by the manipulative to do something
-reciprocation rule is overpowering
-we are more likely to do favours for those we like and respect
-people that most people dislike: unwelcome sales operators, disagreeable acquaintances, oddballs
-since most people are so selfish, anyone who does favours for reasonable people will tend to be remembered. “Twenty years ago, I asked ten friends to help me move. He was the only one who showed up”
-more reciprocation tactics: free samples, take what you want and pay what you want
-pyramid schemes will give out product door to door and come back and take it back a few weeks later. Trap of obligation
-reciprocation rule exists so that people could initiate a relationship without the fear of loss or nothing happening
-reciprocation occurs in equal quantities but the quality of each exchange may be different, but people will remember it as “1 for 1”
-reject then retreat technique; come in asking for more and then 2nd or 3rd ask for a lower “concession” that is likely to be accepted that you wanted in the first place; as long as the initial ask is not outrageous. Using concessions to generate concessions. Leads to feelings of responsibility and satisfaction for the one who got tricked. When people feel they are reasonable for something, they tend to put in greater effort than if they did not think they were responsible
-Favors are to be met with favors; tricks of reciprocation do not need to be met with favors
Chapter 3 – commitment and consistency
-Commitment bias; people are more likely to believe in a horse they get on right after vs right before, even though the odds haven’t changed. A need to back their own stand and appear confident
-this affects women in who they choose as their soulmate. They will want to be with the first one they believe in, even if it no longer makes sense and promises are regularly being broken. They then end up with the wrong one
-those who look consistent is a weapon of social influence; people don’t like when people don’t believe or stand for anything
-consistency makes us stubborn and to stop thinking; it leads to try to have an ignorance is bliss attitude, common among men who get “surprise” divorces
-manipulators can take advantage of this unthinking mind and gain for their own benefit simply for us needing to be consistent, via the news and stock markets
-foot in the door technique; start small sales and build up, after getting initial commitment. Don’t agree to trivial requests freely because will lead to easier to agree to bigger requests
-people once labelled a certain way, will do things in order to meet that external image of themselves and are thus scared to change or do anything else
-Christianity uses the trick of public commitment leading to stubbornness via the bathing in front of the church
The Effort Extra
-fraternities’ initiations and other groups want you to accept inner responsibility for the long-term change to take effect
-threats and direct stances don’t work; one must be more subtle
-lowball tactic by car sales that takes advantage of guilt; overpay then reduce amount
-those who only have bad options, will be pleased with a bad option
-trust your stomach, your gut when it gives you an uneasy feeling
-we experience feelings before our mind comes to the same conclusion
Chapter 4 – social proof
-canned laughter increases laughter at actual comedy
-social proof; if everyone else is doing it, I’m more likely to as well. Herd behaviour
-cults use this to secure commitment via meeting only with its people and instructing that others are false. Giving social power by being in a prestigious group.
-make anti-social kids social by having them see in person or on video, other kids being social
-when cults get proven wrong, they instead try to recruit more people due to sunk cost and comfort in more people believing what they believe, which would make the belief somehow truer.
-social proof leads to bystander effect
-be clear, concise and direct in help and in need of help
-social proof is automatic: we must be active to counter it if we are to resist it
-any time you are on the side of the majority, it is time to pause and reflect, to avoid the trap of social proof
Chapter 5 – liking. The friendly thief
-The principal task of a trial attorney is to establish a favorable rapport between the jury and their client. Clarence Darrow
-what induces us to like others? Physical attractiveness, especially for women. People will use halo effect where:
-attractive people = good (scary). Most under its influence deny it too. Good-looking people enjoy a social advantage in life
-similarity (more ways the better). Be cautious of those who claim to be “just like you”
-compliments, unless receiver believes manipulation
-contact and cooperation (more the better if it’s positive). However, frequent negative contact increases resentment. Create cooperative systems and environments encouraging positives, not negative behaviours, towards a goal where both sides benefit, an ultimate goal
-Compliance professionals are also using this via the good cop/bad cop by inducing false cooperation
-warn your children about playing with other bad children. Guilty by association; and, we tend to assume people are the same as our friends
-conversely, we want to associate with good, or success, to try and boost our public image
-we try and bask in and get glory or look to others when we have nothing ourselves; when we do have something ourselves, we don’t look around anymore as we already won
-those with low self-worth try to live through others or associate with success, rather than try to attain it themselves. People were paying for stubs of sports games already finished.
-when you have liked someone too quickly given the circumstance, be suspicious of some tactic being used
Chapter 6 – authority
“Follow an expert” – Virgil
-under influence of authority, people are willing to shock others to death for fear or retribution
-we are taught in society that obedience is good and disobedience is bad. This makes us vulnerable to power or people in power
-and mindless obedience also occurs, to anything important. This includes medicine, health advice, investing advice, religion, etc
-three symbols of authority
1- title. Degrees and profession
2- clothing
3-cars
Chapter 7 – Scarcity; the rule of the few
-To love something deeply is to recognize its potential for loss; G.K. Chesterton
-most people have a scarcity mindset instead of a plentiful mindset
-scarcity is how most things are valued; like old antiques
-people fight more for what they are about to lose, than if its not in doubt, even if it isn’t valuable to them
-if we are denied something, we want it more; this includes romantic relationships. When the denial stops however, the romance also cools
-parents who enforce discipline inconsistently leads to rebellious children. Actions that are inconsistent don’t mean anything at all
-people constantly feel in competition for scarce resources; this has powerful motivating factors, often negative
-As such, auctions are very dangerous for buyers
-the joy in scarcity is not experiencing it (it is the same), but rather the possession of it
-novelty, transience, diversity, and acceleration are acknowledged as prime descriptors of civilized existence
-the faster the pace of modern life, the more we become automatic and lazy in our thinking and more trickery appears as well
Disclaimer
This is not Financial Advice. This article is meant only for educational and perhaps entertainment purposes.