Invisible Influence
Jonah Berger
In this fascinating and groundbreaking book Jonah Berger explores
the subtle, secret influences that affect the decisions we make—from what we
buy, to the careers we choose, to what we eat.
Other people’s behavior has a huge influence on
everything we do at every moment of our lives, from the mundane to the
momentous occasion. Even strangers have a startling impact on our judgments and
decisions.
Social influence doesn’t just lead us to do the same things
as others. In some cases we conform, or imitate others around us. But in other
cases we diverge, or avoid particular choices or behaviors
because other people are doing them. We stop listening to a band because they
go mainstream. We skip buying the minivan because we don’t want to look like a
soccer mom.
In a compelling way the author focus on the subtle, invisible influences behind our choices as individuals. By understanding how social influence works, we can decide when to resist and when to embrace it—and how we can use this knowledge to make better-informed decisions and exercise more control over our own behavior.
Find out about the forces
that shape your decisions
It often seems as if some
of those around us are very easily influenced. Our thoughts and behaviors are
influenced by external factors far more than we like to admit. Luckily, we can
learn how to spot these influences, and even use it to our advantage.
Most people chalk things
up to objective features like price, design, etc, but this doesn’t tell the
whole story. In reality, we’re quite easily influenced by social pressure.
But what is it about humans
that allow us to be so easily influenced by others? One reason is that we’re
vulnerable to all manner of subtle factors. Take study by psychologist Richard
Moreland, which suggests that we prefer familiar people, and social influence
is a powerful force in this regard. However, if you are aware of it, it will
have less of an effect on you.
We’re inclined to imitate
others and adopt their opinions. We’re highly prone to adopting the behavior
and opinions of those around us. A reason for doing so is because it saves
time, because we don’t have to figure things out for ourselves.
Imitation doesn’t just affect logic. Another such type of conformity is called emotional mimicry, wherein, when we see another person expressing an emotion and we do the same.
So, what others think can influence us tremendously. But there are also instances when we don’t imitate others. Many people want to stand out in some way – but not everyone.
Traditional economic
theory argues that we make choices based on quality and price. But there’s
another force at play: the snob effect, which states that the
more the general population likes something, the less interested many of us
become. People like this don’t just want to appear different; rather they want
to appear better, smarter, richer or more sophisticated.
While some people do
yearn to distinguish themselves, not all do. The extent to which such
distinction matters is a result of our social background.
Brands and people work hard
to show what they’re not, sometimes with negative results.
In fact, brands and
people go to great lengths to ensure that they’re not confused with something
or someone else – especially if that other entity is undesirable. Proving what
we can’t be is just as important as proving what we are, and sometimes it can
be harmful to do the former.
People crave familiarity, difference and a balance of the
two.
Humans tend to prefer
familiar people and things, because being attracted to familiar people
increases our chances of forming close-knit groups. But, while familiarity is a
favored, we are always searching for new experiences.
No matter how much we
desire a new experience, we’ll often remain on guard until we know if it’s
actually safe. What we really seek is the middle ground: we want to be familiar
and different.
Others can often help us perform
better. But they can also distract us. It depends on how complex the task is. When
a task is relatively simple, we perform better under the gaze of spectators,
competitors or companions, since such people keep us motivated. However, if the
task is difficult and involves learning, the presence of others can hamper our
performance as the presence of other people can be distracting. But it will
also make us more physically alert.
At the same time, we can use social influence to motivate others to act differently. But, this strategy only works if there’s hope that you can beat out the competition.
Ruchika Verma
You can buy this
wonderful book from Amazon
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