The last decision you took was not actually yours. You were being driven, guided, manipulated, but all this was done too silently for you to notice.

Most of us will definitely disagree with the statement above, in fact, your mind is screaming “Me? No way. I am too hard for anyone to manipulate”. Let’s re-visit some of your recent activities, This time with your eyes open.

I would insist you to go for a lunch/dinner OR remember the last time you went to a restaurant out of your regular cuisine. Try to know someone other than you who do not have an idea of the cuisine. Now notice what he orders, considering all the outcomes (Veg/non-veg, likes/dislikes), and the person who ordered something of that similar kind before him.

Research states that the person ordering food first has an upper hand on the order of the following people, especially the ones who actually don’t have much of a preference. Now the same rules apply for the parking of cars in a parking lot, taking open votes, etc.

Now, do you think the guy with no preference suddenly made one? Or was his decision a derivative of his conditions and presence? Now, can we modify someone’s choice just by using the fact of stating something before he makes his mind? People who understand such opportunities (consciously/ sub-consciously), seem to make conditions according to their likes/dislikes, which I believe is a super-power.

If at all this made you think, even for a fraction of second. Please read Invisible Influence by Jonah Berger, where he explains deeply the concept and how can we use it to our advantage. I recommend it to everyone from marketing/sales background.

Thanks for reading! Would love to hear some opinions/thoughts around the topic. Peace. 😉