Different Realities — Which Do You Live In?

11:05 pm

Saint Paul, Minnesota

Years ago, when I first started reading and writing about persuasion, I found myself moving further to the political right. Or, perhaps, further from the current political left.

Learning about the tools and techniques of persuasion, I could see the manipulation of the population and how easily our energy is directed.

Persuasion, at its core, is getting someone to see the benefits of an action or a believe, and to change their behavior ‘for the better’ because of it.

Manipulation, on the other hand, benefits the manipulator but not the manipulated. Rioting, anyone?

When you’re the first to mention an idea, you “win” that mind space. This is the purpose of a Blue Ocean strategy, that you define a new market and you’re the only one serving it.

But when someone already has an idea and you’re hoping to persuade them to see the benefit of its opposite? Much harder.

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Divided We Fall

7:45am

Saint Paul

Late last night I wrote about the divisions we see around us.

People are hurting, people are pointing fingers, people are acting and reacting and ratcheting up their responses.

My city, and others, are being destroyed because we’re being divided. Divided by labels, instilled through fear of Us vs Them.

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Denny Hatch’s 7 Emotional Buttons to Get People to Take Action!

Denny Hatch is an “old-school” marketer and copywriter that cut his teeth with direct mail, long before the internet was a thing.

The emotions Hatch identifies in his out-of-print book The Secrets of Emotional, Hot-Button COPYWRITING get people’s juices flowing.

Emotions, it should be said, are the basis for most decisions that people make (but I suspect you already knew that, you wise cookie you… and if you didn’t know it — good on you for wanting to learn!)

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The Coronavirus is coming for you (Part 1)

There’s a global panic right now about the Coronavirus, also known as COVID-19.

While the illness is real, we have very little factual data about the illness or its spread.

For starters, there’s an indication this isn’t actually a virus — antiviral medications aren’t making much of a dent.

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5 Things to Learn in “Outwitting the Devil” by Napoleon Hill

Andrew Carnegie was a business tycoon in the late 1800s… and the richest

Image "Newspapers B&W (3)" by Jon S, Flickr, CC-By-2.0
Journalist Napoleon Hill asked Andrew Carnegie, “What makes for a successful life?” Image “Newspapers B&W (3)” by Jon S, Flickr, CC-By-2.0

man in America.

During an ‘afternoon interview’ —one that stretched into three days— journalist Napoleon Hill asked Carnegie,

What makes for a successful life?

With a twinkle in his eye, Carnegie invited Hill to research that exact question— Continue reading “5 Things to Learn in “Outwitting the Devil” by Napoleon Hill”

Persuasion Articles of the Week

Politicians ask for small donations not because it makes a large difference, but because you'll remain consistant. Image "Bernie Sanders - Caricature" by DonkeyHotey, Flickr, CC-By-2.0
Politicians ask for small donations not because it makes a large difference, but because you’ll remain consistent. Image “Bernie Sanders – Caricature” by DonkeyHotey, Flickr, CC-By-2.0

#politics #crime #confession #control #prefrontalcortex #gambling #restaurant #menu #price #design

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