Mental models for…

10 mental models for persuasion & influence

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Influence runs on a handful of predictable triggers. Learn them and you'll both persuade more honestly and resist being manipulated.

  1. We feel obliged to give back — the rule of reciprocity

  2. Social proof: we copy what others do, especially when unsure

  3. Commitment & consistency: small yeses lock you into big ones

  4. The halo effect: one good trait colors everything else

  5. The first number you hear quietly drags every guess after it

  6. The framing effect: how something is worded changes your choice

  7. The mere-exposure effect: familiarity quietly becomes liking

  8. The contrast effect: things look different next to what came before

  9. The bandwagon effect: belief spreads because others believe it

  10. Reactance: tell people they can't, and they'll want to

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