"Influence (Classic Edition)" Reading Notes#
Author: Robert Cialdini
Reading Duration: 1 hour
These are the notes and excerpts I recorded while reading "Influence (Classic Edition)" on WeChat Reading.
Chapter 1: Weapons of Influence#
A well-known principle of human behavior states that when we ask others for help, if we can provide a reason, the probability of success increases.
In the long run, considering all the situations they have encountered throughout their lives, betting on taking shortcuts may represent the most rational approach.
The famous British philosopher Alfred North Whitehead believed this is an inevitable characteristic of modern life, asserting: "The progress of civilization is that the things people can do without thinking are increasing."
A well-known principle of human behavior states that when we ask others for help, if we can provide a reason, the probability of success increases.
In the long run, considering all the situations they have encountered throughout their lives, betting on taking shortcuts may represent the most rational approach.
The famous British philosopher Alfred North Whitehead believed this is an inevitable characteristic of modern life, asserting: "The progress of civilization is that the things people can do without thinking are increasing."
Chapter 2: Reciprocity#
The experimenters told the subjects that they were participating in a so-called "art appreciation" experiment, where they would rate the quality of several paintings together with others. Another rater, whom we will call "Joe," was only pretending to be a companion of the subjects but was actually an assistant to Professor Reagan. To achieve the purpose of the experiment, the researchers used two different environments. Several times, Joe proactively helped the real subjects with a small favor. During a short break, Joe left the room for a few minutes and returned with two cans of Coca-Cola, one for the subject and one for himself, saying, "I asked him (the experimenter) if I could get a Coke, and he said it was fine, so I brought you one too." In other instances, Joe did not help the subject with this small favor; he went outside the room for a two-minute break and returned empty-handed. In all other respects, Joe's behavior was the same. Later, after all the paintings had been rated and the experimenter temporarily left the room, Joe asked the subject for a favor. He stated that he was selling raffle tickets for a new car, and if he sold the most tickets, he could win a $50 prize. Joe asked the subject to buy some tickets at 25 cents each: "Help me out, buying one is fine, but the more the better."
There is another reason: those who violate the principle of reciprocity by accepting without attempting to repay others' kindness are not welcomed by social groups.
After all, the principle of reciprocity states that fairness means that exploitative behavior should be met with exploitative behavior.
The experimenters told the subjects that they were participating in a so-called "art appreciation" experiment, where they would rate the quality of several paintings together with others. Another rater, whom we will call "Joe," was only pretending to be a companion of the subjects but was actually an assistant to Professor Reagan. To achieve the purpose of the experiment, the researchers used two different environments. Several times, Joe proactively helped the real subjects with a small favor. During a short break, Joe left the room for a few minutes and returned with two cans of Coca-Cola, one for the subject and one for himself, saying, "I asked him (the experimenter) if I could get a Coke, and he said it was fine, so I brought you one too." In other instances, Joe did not help the subject with this small favor; he went outside the room for a two-minute break and returned empty-handed. In all other respects, Joe's behavior was the same. Later, after all the paintings had been rated and the experimenter temporarily left the room, Joe asked the subject for a favor. He stated that he was selling raffle tickets for a new car, and if he sold the most tickets, he could win a $50 prize. Joe asked the subject to buy some tickets at 25 cents each: "Help me out, buying one is fine, but the more the better."
There is another reason: those who violate the principle of reciprocity by accepting without attempting to repay others' kindness are not welcomed by social groups.
After all, the principle of reciprocity states that fairness means that exploitative behavior should be met with exploitative behavior.
Chapter 3: Commitment and Consistency#
High consistency between words and actions is often associated with strong personality and outstanding intelligence; it is the core of logic, stability, and a sense of honesty.
Be very careful when accepting trivial requests, as once agreed, it may influence our self-perception. It not only increases our compliance with larger similar requests but also makes us more willing to do things that are completely unrelated to the small requests we previously agreed to.
High consistency between words and actions is often associated with strong personality and outstanding intelligence; it is the core of logic, stability, and a sense of honesty.
Be very careful when accepting trivial requests, as once agreed, it may influence our self-perception. It not only increases our compliance with larger similar requests but also makes us more willing to do things that are completely unrelated to the small requests we previously agreed to.
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