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YOU, meet your BRAIN! 
Eight ways your brain is influenced and how you can leverage them to build a stronger, more resilient mind for 2021.
The M.I.N.D.L.E.S.S. thread.
Eight ways your brain is influenced and how you can leverage them to build a stronger, more resilient mind for 2021.
The M.I.N.D.L.E.S.S. thread.
Humans are confusing. Why do we do what we do?
The science of human behaviour is complicated and slow moving, but there are practical insights you can pick up along the way.
“MINDLESS” describes 8 ways your beliefs, thoughts & actions may be influenced
The science of human behaviour is complicated and slow moving, but there are practical insights you can pick up along the way.
“MINDLESS” describes 8 ways your beliefs, thoughts & actions may be influenced
#1 - MESSENGER
We’re influenced by who tells us info, based on perceived authority.
Need to upgrade ur credibility as a messenger?
Get the person to do u a small favour. Often behaviour makes us reinterpret our opinions.
“I did the guy a solid, I must think he’s a good dude”
We’re influenced by who tells us info, based on perceived authority.
Need to upgrade ur credibility as a messenger?
Get the person to do u a small favour. Often behaviour makes us reinterpret our opinions.
“I did the guy a solid, I must think he’s a good dude”
#2 - INCENTIVES
Positive
money, affection, Twitter likes…
Negative taxes, scarcity, FOMO…
Pricing is a complicated incentive.
Discounts work but price is also a key signal of quality so needs to be used wisely & with thought for your overall brand.
Positive
money, affection, Twitter likes…Negative
taxes, scarcity, FOMO…Pricing is a complicated incentive.
Discounts work but price is also a key signal of quality so needs to be used wisely & with thought for your overall brand.
Thought experiment:
There’s a nice shirt for $30 but u can walk 15 min down the road & get it for $10, will u? [I would!]
There’s a nice car for $30,000 (u have the cash) but u could walk 10 min down the road & get it for $29,980, would u? [me, prob not]
Pricing is weird.
There’s a nice shirt for $30 but u can walk 15 min down the road & get it for $10, will u? [I would!]
There’s a nice car for $30,000 (u have the cash) but u could walk 10 min down the road & get it for $29,980, would u? [me, prob not]
Pricing is weird.
#3 - NORMS
Norms are expectations or rules within a society/ group.
They can be explicit (No Smoking signs) or just observed (facing forward in an elevator)
We’re strongly influenced by what others do, especially by those we see as peers.
Hang w fat friends, u get fat.
Norms are expectations or rules within a society/ group.
They can be explicit (No Smoking signs) or just observed (facing forward in an elevator)
We’re strongly influenced by what others do, especially by those we see as peers.
Hang w fat friends, u get fat.
The UK Behavioral Insights Team found ppl more likely to pay outstanding taxes when they got a letter with the norm message:
“9/10 people in [your city/ town] pay their taxes on time”.
What social norm cues do u see in your daily life. Are they positive or negative?
![The UK Behavioral Insights Team found ppl more likely to pay outstanding taxes when they got a letter with the norm message:“9/10 people in [your city/ town] pay their taxes on time”.What social norm cues do u see in your daily life. Are they positive or negative?](https://pbs.twimg.com/media/EqVyHC1WMAA-PBu.png "The UK Behavioral Insights Team found ppl more likely to pay outstanding taxes when they got a letter with the norm message:“9/10 people in [your city/ town] pay their taxes on time”.What social norm cues do u see in your daily life. Are they positive or negative?")
“9/10 people in [your city/ town] pay their taxes on time”.
What social norm cues do u see in your daily life. Are they positive or negative?
#4 - DEFAULTS
We go with the flow of pre-set options
→ put the veggie option at the top of the menu, more ppl buy
→ make retirement savings or organ donation the default, more ppl do it
We go with the flow of pre-set options
→ put the veggie option at the top of the menu, more ppl buy
→ make retirement savings or organ donation the default, more ppl do it
#5 - LIKEABILITY/ EGO
We love a positive consistent self-image
What happens when actions & beliefs clash? It’s usually the beliefs that change to fit our behaviour.
As kids we love farm animals. As adults we eat them. We rationalize meat eating as natural, necessary & normal.
We love a positive consistent self-image
What happens when actions & beliefs clash? It’s usually the beliefs that change to fit our behaviour.
As kids we love farm animals. As adults we eat them. We rationalize meat eating as natural, necessary & normal.
#6 - EMOTIONS
Emotional associations work.
Notice that Coke & Pepsi ad campaigns never mention the product price.
They don’t want you to be loyal based on price, a lower priced competitor could lure u away.
They want u to have a deep emotional connection with the brand.
Emotional associations work.
Notice that Coke & Pepsi ad campaigns never mention the product price.
They don’t want you to be loyal based on price, a lower priced competitor could lure u away.
They want u to have a deep emotional connection with the brand.
#7 - SALIENCE
We pay attention to what’s new & relevant
We perceive unusual experiences as more memorable
Peak End Rule - U judge experiences on how it felt at the peak & end
Might dentists get better reviews if discomfort was constant vs 1 painful jolt in the middle?
We pay attention to what’s new & relevant
We perceive unusual experiences as more memorable
Peak End Rule - U judge experiences on how it felt at the peak & end
Might dentists get better reviews if discomfort was constant vs 1 painful jolt in the middle?
#8 - SUBCONSCIOUS CUES/ PRIMING
Priming w words, sites or sounds can influence your behavior, often subconsciously.
Asking ppl to make a sentence out of scrambled words such as fit, lean, athletic made them more likely to use the stairs vs elevator.
Priming w words, sites or sounds can influence your behavior, often subconsciously.
Asking ppl to make a sentence out of scrambled words such as fit, lean, athletic made them more likely to use the stairs vs elevator.
Thx for reading, really hope there’s something here u can use today.
Would love to hear what kinds of these influences you see in your daily life. Are they helping or impeding your goals?
If you’re curious how this research could help u in life or business, DMs are open.
Would love to hear what kinds of these influences you see in your daily life. Are they helping or impeding your goals?
If you’re curious how this research could help u in life or business, DMs are open.
