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Weapons of Influence #2: Commitment and Consistency (Ep. 189)

Humans are predictable. Sometimes, too predictable.

We’ve been reading Influence: The Psychology of Persuasion, and it turns out that many of the same social patterns that have helped humanity flourish have a dark side.

In part one of this series, we talked about reciprocation.

Today, we’re talking about consistency, and why sticking to your guns isn’t always the smartest thing to do.

Things mentioned in this episode

This week’s episode is sponsored by:

  • Anchor.fm – Check out my station to get extra podcasts on how Thomas runs College Info Geek, edits videos, picks gear, and more. You can also download the app to submit questions, bookmark your favorite stations, and easily start your own podcast if you’d like.
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Here’s what we mentioned in this episode:

Want more cool stuff? You can find all sorts of great tools at my Resources page.

Timestamps

  • 0:00:55 – Establishing your public image
  • 0:08:12 – The importance of consistency and mental shortcuts
  • 0:11:37 – Defining financial bubbles
  • 0:14:43 – Standing firmly by a choice you previously made
  • 0:35:57 – Sponsor: Anchor (Starting a podcast)
  • 0:40:04 – Sponsor: StoryBlocks (Graphic design assets)
  • 0:42:06 – How businesses use the tripwire strategy
  • 0:47:56 – Being consistent by committing to something publicly
  • 0:50:35 – Having something, or someone, to hold you accountable
  • 1:00:44 – Asking questions that force people to take a stance
  • 1:06:37 – Behaving according to your public image
  • 1:08:17 – Conclusion

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Weapons of Influence #2: Commitment and Consistency