STREET DOGS

Extracts from Robert Cialdini’s Influence: The Psychology of Persuasion, that have market import:

“Extensive analysis requires more time, energy and motivation. As a consequence, its impact on our decisions is limited by the rigour it requires. If we don’t have the wherewithal … to think hard about a choice, we’re unlikely to deliberate deeply.”

“Since 95% of the people are imitators and only 5% initiators, people are persuaded more by the actions of others than by any proof we can offer.”

“First, we seem to assume that if a lot of people are doing the same thing, they must know something we don’t. Especially when we are uncertain, we are willing to place an enormous amount of trust in the collective knowledge of the crowd. Second, quite frequently the crowd is mistaken because they are not acting on the basis of any superior information but are reacting to the principle of social proof.”

“The principle of social proof says so: the greater the number of people who find any idea correct, the more the idea will be correct.”

“In general, when we are unsure of ourselves, when the situation is unclear or ambiguous, when uncertainty reigns, we are most likely to look to and accept the actions of others as correct.”

“Once we have made a choice or taken a stand, we will encounter personal and interpersonal pressures to behave consistently with that commitment. Those pressures will cause us to respond in ways that justify our earlier decision.”

“We all fool ourselves from time to time in order to keep our thoughts and beliefs consistent with what we have already done or decided.”

“Stubborn consistency allows us a very appealing luxury: we don’t have to think hard about the issues anymore.”

“Who we are is where we are whenever.”