The psychology of persuasion, as told by an Ivy League professor | Jonah Berger for Big Think+
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- Опубліковано 9 тра 2024
- It just takes one “yes.” Wharton professor Jonah Berger shares his three tips for getting what you want from others.
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In appropriate contexts, the art of persuasion can go a long way. Wharton School of Business professor Jonah Berger shares three strategies for getting your peers and target audiences to "yes." Learn how to make your communications more convincing and easier to agree with.
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About Jonah Berger:
Jonah Berger is a Wharton School professor and the internationally bestselling author of Magic Words, Contagious, Invisible Influence, and The Catalyst.
Dr. Berger is a world-renowned expert on natural language processing, change, word of mouth, influence, consumer behavior, and why things catch on. He has published over 80 articles in top-tier academic journals, teaches one of the world’s most popular online courses, and popular outlets like The New York Times and Harvard Business Review often cover his work. Berger has keynoted hundreds of major conferences and events like SXSW and Cannes Lions, advises various early-stage companies, and consults for organizations like Apple, Google, Nike, Amazon, GE, Moderna, and The Gates Foundation.
Find Jonah’s website and his latest book below:
jonahberger.com/
www.amazon.com/Magic-Words-Jo...
You pursueded me 50% by just putting that *ivy professor* in title
You're not the only one
Ivy league is the trigger😂
😂😂
Dr. Fox effect :)
Ivy Leagues are now an affirmative action dystopian woke mess
One interesting note about people using "umms" and "uhhhs" between thoughts: in addition to lacking confidence, many do this in an attempt to hold the floor. The Obama example at 5:11 is a lovely illustration, but the stage is set for no one to interrupt him. Sadly, most people in normal conversational circumstances do not actively listen and merely wait for their turn to talk... hence why many have developed a habit of filling thoughts with placeholder noises to ensure they maintain the floor.
This is such a good point! I've noticed this but didn't know how to articulate it.
I don't typically use much filler, people interrupt me more than most, I think. Some people find my pauses awkward, but it is also an invitation to share the conversation. I don't feel bad about it when the pleasant pause is returned in kind. I also do the opposite of "defiance" I usually qualify my language with uncertainty. I do this because I think it is gracious, to those who may feel differently, and philosophically I'm more Socratic - there is wisdom in knowing we may not know.
So, I can't help but think the advice/observations in the video are cultural. The same strategy may fail horribly in Japan.
Was about to say the same. Give me a stage, and I'll take 2-minute breaks, no worries. But in life, if you wait just a little bit, people will say what they think.
I often do the opposite. I slow down my sentences and leave space for people to jump in and finish a thought I started. At first this just happened, but once I noticed the pattern I started doing it intentionally. It's a good way to tell if people are still following, and it also lets me include them in the conversation without giving up control entirely. It also tells you when you are loosing your audience. That's the case when you have to pick up the slack yourself. After that, better shut up an let someone else fill the silence ;)
When you just talk without break people will at some point either walk away or jump in regardless, because you bore them. But if you share control of the conversation you can hold on to it much better than if you try to monopolize it.
You are so right! That thought occurred to me immediately. I do it myself because I feel that way. I also talk too fast because I know I'm going to be interrupted before I've had a chance to finish or, shame on me, I interrupt others because if I don't, they never pause for breath and I can't say what I want before they move on to another topic. It's like a race to see who's going to get their full two cents in. It's like I'm convinced I'm the only capable, knowledgable one in the room. Pure pride. I want to be willing to not have my say.
I think the bigger lesson here is that even when someone sounds persuasive they might still be talking out of their ass, so rather than being persuaded by the way someone speaks it's more important think critically about what a person is actually saying content wise
Nicely said
absolutely. This video is on good communication tho
And how it transfers to their actions. Some people say one thing and do another, and some people tell a lot and nothing happens
And the answer can be in the track record. Name one thing a recent president did that was helpful to the citizens of our country, or to the people who wanted, and want, him president. Just one thing.
All I can hear now is crickets.
that's the whole thing, the art of selling, you don't think these things when you're faced with such someone
00:02 Understanding the science of language helps you communicate more effectively.
00:54 Changing the way you ask for help can influence others to comply.
01:35 Using identity-based language can significantly increase people's likelihood of helping or voting.
02:17 Turning actions into identities increases engagement.
03:05 Trump's confidence is communicated through his use of certain language.
03:49 Confident language increases persuasion
04:42 Fillers like um and uh make us seem unsure and less likely to be listened to.
05:32 Analyzing our own language usage to become more persuasive and memorable
Thanks, this recap is exactly what I needed
Your comment deserves more likes!
Thank you very much for the breakdown. This professor needs to get a life, choice of words does not persuade. When I teach math, some people hate it. One has to talk to them about why, provide a reason for how knowing math can help their life, make it easy and fun at the start. Then one reduces harder tasks to laughter. Eventually, if one is fortunate, the person concludes math is easy and will even ask why they didn’t like it. The answer: Bad teachers make bad students. One congratulated the learner for overcoming bad lessons at that point. One thanks them for listening, giving you their time, and making the effort. Sometimes they thank you. Gratitude is not important. Making life easier for others is rewarding in itself.
This man needs mental help because he has control issues. If a professor, he’s a poor one. My favorite professors felt guilty at giving me their time until I pointed out no one was standing behind me in a line. They were dedicated teachers not trying to show favoritism. They relaxed once they realized I was an interested student and friendships formed. No persuasion of any kind, general interest and respect. Attentive devotion to a subject we both loved form bonds of friendship. I still love two of my professors because we moved from teacher/student to friends and I remained someone listening to a sage.
I don’t think this man will ever have respect or admiration. Like Madison Avenue, he’s too busy trying to make you buy his toothpaste...
The last point is just a great tactic to speak and communicate effectively.I m a 19 years old , recently i had to give a presentation on advertisments so I first wrote the script , altered it , recorded it , listened to it and changed it to be persuasive.Guess what happened there were senior giving presentation but at my turn the jury the audience was all ears and I won the First Prize.Point is that , record it , write it then speak.
Nice! Good points.
I believe this is the most concise description how to be better at anything. Thank you.
On the third tip - I think people conversationally use fillers out of fear of being interrupted when they haven't completed a thought. In conversation, oftentimes pausing to take a beat is an invitation for the other person to start speaking. The rule IS applicable to public speaking of course.
Wow! absolutely loved this. Thank you
There's a fine line between motivation and manipulation and we are delighted when we dont have to notice it
Great video. Surely going to implement them.
This video was so insightful! I've always been fascinated by the psychology of persuasion, and Jonah Berger's tips were spot on. It just goes to show that sometimes all it takes is one "yes" to make a difference. I'll definitely be using these tips in my everyday life. Thanks for sharing this valuable information!
Creating a sense of identity for an action that will potentially impact others life… yesss ❤
Very interesting! thank you for share it!
Wonderful channel 👍👍..such amazing contents...
Wow. That's so true. I do these without thinking about them😅
To start with I’ll say it’s really a great piece of content you’ve given and for that thank you sir...
I did enjoy the presentation and all the visual examples used. I would like to ask this question.
While recording your self talking is the speech suppose to be on a random topic or should it be channeled towards something like playing the role of a salesman to customer, teacher to student, parent to child etc.....????
Never mind the dark arts of persuasion, defend yourself against all forms of manipulation. The motive of anyone attempting to persuade is of control, control over you.
ffs it's pointless to enlighten the masses, my comments used to be shadow banned, now they don't even show up for me - automatically deleted by AI.
Persuasion is inherently about control. Call it ‘influence’ if you like, but there’s a reason people readily voice certain opinions while keeping others quiet.
Racists are a good example of this!
If this what you're concerned with, you're thinking too small. Persuasion is just an aspect of human nature. Practice your critical thinking and you have no issues. Much of the rest of persuasion is convincing people why your choice is the right option for a choice they're going to make anyway.
persuasive point, uhmmmm.....wait
but what if the motive for having control is... to give YOU control?!?!?
Good points. You can find those and a lot more in Dale Carnegie's How to Win Friends and Influence People. Written in the 1930s but timeless because the principles are based on human nature. I'd love to see an experiment done to see the difference in outcomes between high school students who read and study it in a school versus those who don't. I think it would be both surprising and not.
An experiment like that would be difficult to conduct, since it is not just about reading and studying the strategies, it is also about comprehension and application of the strategies. What would be the objective measurement of comprehension and success at application?
@@ItsNeverTooHot4Leather Please note that I didn't say it would be easy, or how it would be done. That's beyond my pay grade and outside my wheelhouse. To your point, though, in my mind comprehension is built into the study, but application would be part of what's measured. That is, who and how many of the cohort studying the principles go on to apply them in daily life, and then how much does that result in outcomes considered positive and/or successful. Again, I don't presume to know how best something like that could be set up and properly attenuated, but I think far more, and more subjective, studies have been done. My overall point, of course, is simply that the methods of persuasion premised on common human behavior and nature are always your best bet, and Dale Carnegie explains them about as simply and accessibly as anyone ever has.
Re the first point, about asking someone to be, rather than to do: this should be saved for the positive context. If a child does something bad, you want them to know that it is a bad thing to do, but since you don’t want badness to be part of their identify, it’s best not to them that they are bad.
Boy, this video was really great! I don't remember watching a full big think video with 100 percent concentration!
Amazing 6min video 🙏
Excellent advice.!
So good! Much better than his first book. Gonna grab a copy
This is great in public speech! However in 1 on 1 conversation i may use "uhh" not only to buy time, but to also give who i'm talking to a better understanding on when i'm actually done Speaking. Frequent pauses can sometimes cause confusion on when the right time is to respond in my experience atleast.
Thanks for sharing.
Great! I learn something from here🎉
What a great lesson!
Is it applicable to other languages?
What an enlightening lecture. Thank you
Appeal to identify is one of the most effective tactics for bullshitting (in the technical sense of the word), especially in the information age. The increase in differentiated information without proper integration and relevance leads to fragmentation on multiple levels of social and individual organization.
The difference between style and substance. A Great leader will have both, but substance is the more important of the two. Sometimes though, style is more highly rewarded.
Great info! What’s the music or song in the background?
Thank you.
The first point is interesting. Converting actions to a member state changes what you say from being an external command to an internally driven invitation.
"Can you help clean up?" Is a person placing themself above you issuing a command at you.
"Do you mind being a helper for cleaning up?" is a psychological inviation to embody the role of a helper. So if the person being asked accepts the invialtation, it's of their own volition - of course, the tangible difference here is that this all happens inside the askee's head and no where else.
The asker is still essentially commanding them to clean up, but it's a little mind trick to make the askee feel better about it.
My take away and one we could all bear in mind, is that just because someone wins an argument it does not mean they’re right
Confidence is also the “con” in con-man.
❤Thank you very much for your advice and professional insight
Love the 36” wide backdrop! Too small or two big in every shot!
Speaking of fillers , one of the trends that drives me up the wall is young people saying “honestly,” or “ I mean,”. Or “Not gonna lie” before every thing they say nowadays. Not sure where it came from or why it’s so popular now but it’s obnoxious. It’s mostly a younger persons trend and I first noticed it with my nieces and nephews and then later on realized it was a HUGE trend that encompasses practically all young people.
When I brought it to my nieces and nephews attention I challenged them to stop. They said why should they stop? Well I told them it’s not only wasted words but it makes you sound unsure about what you are saying, or even unsure about your own opinion. Instead of saying “honestly,”. Before sharing your opinion get to the point and share your opinion outright . They gave it a shot and laughed that it actually took a considerable effort and a few weeks time to eradicate this from their vocabulary.
More content like this please.
Brilliant.
Bouta confidently ask my brother to be a Dish Washer
I hope he laughs in your face and tells you to go screw yourself for being manipulative.
People who talk with full confidence are always a red flag for me. In those situations i begin to listen very closely...
Yes, it activates my suspicion because it it immediately tells me that they're *TRYING* to persuade me to do something.
I can tell you now, that I am 100% persuaded by you. You ingenious and clever professor.
Thanks!
Thank you!
I find the most effective way of having people do the things you want them to, is by not caring what they do. The most effective way to reduce the negative impact their decisions have in your life is by limiting their exposure to it. The less dependent you are on other people, the more independent your state of being becomes.
Amazingly life changing.
Yes its all true, fillers specifically.
Yes, I am working on fillers already. We need to use silence instead
Leadership 101. The US military uses these concepts as well when training leaders. Something that wasn't covered, but is also very important. Speak in an active voice and not one that is passive.
Also something to think about: is it ok to teach people how to be persuasive without also teaching people how not to take advantage of the less informed and those in a weaker position?
Please note trumpf speaks in sequences like, "I did not do this, and if I did do this..., and it does not matter if this was done." Much emphasis must be placed on the fact ambiguity is key in what he projects versus he does it the "right way."
Trumpf masterminds entertainment mixed with psych to simultaneously hit all target audiences at once. Very effective though it should not be. Goes to the weakness of the weakness if you get my point.
The weakness of America is passionate belief.
Obama on the contrary in your example and all other is followed through with logic and current context.
There is great difference.
thank you !
Fake confidence is contemptable. Confidence should be earned.
I like the first point, though, about framing. I think if the speaker frames things in identities they will probably look at it that way, too.
yeah but it’s useful knowing how to sound confident because people that actually know their shit will usually come across as a bit unsure which is fine but then there’s times where they actually need to be persuasive
@@WellActualllyyy I agree. I would say they have earned their confidence. Maybe in their field being less sure is a virtue, but they should feel confident when speaking to laypeople
Oh yes absolutely, first thing I thought when they brought that up was yeah, sure, but that only works with the type of people who can be dazzled with a confident demeanor, of fake confidence as you put it, and can't hear the BS in it. If that's your audience, sure, we've all seen it work. If you are dealing with reasonably intelligent people, they will immediately figure you out and automatically lose any respect for you for even thinking you can influence/manipulate them with such "techniques" (for lack of a better word).
Re: framing, also yes, I thought it was really interesting when I noticed he was talking about asking people to be something instead of doing something. However, I find it very unnatural to use nouns instead of verbs for requests. Seems psychologically sound, though.
Edit: Excessive use of the word "however"
Confidence comes from competence.
The science and art of persuasion is deeper than that.
1. Saying words like it's a well-known fact that ... and speaking long narratives fast with no umms to interrupt makes you sound determined and serious because you are using a deterministic language. But this is not persuasion and long-term benefit, it's just a superficial act to avoid criticism to your ideas and narratives and it's the easiest way to disaster. The antisocial and narcissists have a tell-tale sign of easily telling lies to your face while maintaining eye contact and gaze. they learn with time how to tell a lie while manipulating the listener into believing the lie.
2. True persuasion is a skill, first you need to have some experience and have had some first-hand experiments or done your research about a certain topic before you try to persuade anyone into anything. After that you need to argue that narrative with different people in order to understand the strengths of your narrative and its weaknesses and what other ideas and common beliefs prevents people from adopting the same idea. Then you should address all those concerns with people trying to support your view with examples, experiments and demonstrations instead of just talking in a deterministic language. After addressing all of these matters and popularizing the idea, you should wait for the people to test by trial and error for some time until they finally begin believing that your solution is worth it and thus, they will become persuaded.
3. You should know that persuasion takes years to spread an idea unless you are persuading someone who knows nothing about the topic, then he will simply adopt your narrative because it's the first he hears about this topic. Persuasion requires much more than talking in a deterministic language. In fact, people who interrupt their speech more with umms are more persuasive than manipulative because we deal with a multifactorial world that interferes with the results we get. Many things can go wrong so you should factor in all of those noises and imperfections in your speech and give time for the audience to criticize the idea. Also, persuasion is a 2-way communication. 1-way speech is just tutoring, stating your belief or manipulation.
4. Organized, well detailed ideas that are laid down in a logical, sequential, well written or well-spoken manner are more likely to be read or heard and thus have higher chances of being adopted because you convey your idea in a way that can be received easily. But this is just the superficial paint and short-term persuasion effort. Long term persuasion requires many more skills like debates, demonstrations, evidence, experiments, giving time for the audience to test the idea by themselves.
5. You should factor in the conflict of interests while trying to persuade someone of something. Sometimes the correct thing to do is simply for the greater good but against their short-term benefits. These people are beyond persuasion even if they know that what you are saying is true but its harmful for them on the short term. It's like trying to persuade your cat into having a bath willingly in order to fight the flees. So, persuasion alone has its limitations and sometimes, it has to be accompanied by some other tricks similar to good cop, bad cop or some form of confrontation and heavy criticism to solve some issues particularly some deep-rooted destructive ideas.
Use identity based language to pursuade (be a helper vs can you help), Be Confident, Remove Fillers
that was excellent.
You forgot classical rhetorical techniques that have been known for 3000 years. Ethos pathos logos. Alliteration, diacope, epanelepsis, anaphora, tricolon, etc. I hope these researchers understood that they weren’t looking into anything new. Rhetoric was one of the 3 areas of study of school for hundreds of years. It has been reserved for the ruling class in the past century.
Edit: Odysseus from Homer’s Odyssey had the job of Rhetorician. It takes a lot of persuasion to convince men to run into battle.
"It has been reserved for the ruling class in the past century." Yet I learned this stuff in 8th grade English class just a decade ago. I think these researchers know what they're doing lol
@@genericerealWhen was the last time you heard the media comment on Obama’s anaphora or Trump’s diacope? The alliteration of billboards, Or the manipulative shows of ethos of military officers sending the enlisted to their deaths? You are the subject of rhetoric in real time. Your thoughts are not your own. They are put in your head by advertisers and lobbyists.
Where did you go to school??!!!
@@meelash1 Nowhere good in retrospect. I had one persuasive speaking class in high school, that took a broad overview of the subject, but didn’t drill down very far. When I read about the subject later, it was like a fish discovering water. To actually be able to label the technique that advertisers or corporations or politicians or military officers were using to persuade others in real time was empowering. I see complaints about manipulation but no one gets very specific about the techniques.
Lol the ruling class study the classical form of rhetoric in depth for years. It’s not something they gloss over in 8th grade English.
Maybe have a broader think and read some of Hannah Arendt’s views on power also explained in books like “The banality of evil”etc. The Ivy League Prof is being a bit sparse in his popular explanation here. Stay curious of course 🖖🏼
“SPICE” Simple, Perceived Self-Interest, Incongruent, Confident, Empathy from Split Second Persuasion from Kevin Dutton… Helper appeals to perceived self-interest. Similarly there’s marketing concept of making persons heroes in their own stories which being the xxx-er does.
The greatest orators of the 21st century have these 3 qualities, and these examples are simple, but not easy to master.
For the "yes" clip you missed a big opportunity... Should've used "When Harry Met Sally" Meg Ryan Katz's Deli scene!
First rule of persuasion: don’t over sell. The second I saw “Persuade anyone” I knew this wasn’t a legit video.
This was a great piece
Speaking with confidence seems to work when the audience can’t interact. If you say something wrong with confidence the audience would probably correct the speaker in Q&A.
This a awesome video! Love it!
They used to teach this in school.
❤awesoms
Not bad video at all this could help me with my problem of not speaking up or clearly to get my point across
You can be confident and bs all you want, but at some point you have to deliver the goods.
As was told to me once... 'Look good, sound good, OR its no good'
mind control is esey just make dem say yes!
We shouldn't be encouraging people to feign confidence. From my perspective most people are grossly overconfident in their opinions and worldviews and need to learn to model humility and uncertainty more.
Does this work in languages other than English?
me to my siblings:
would you mind being the water bringer for me please?
Winner
Interesting but really... don't throw up on the audience. Meaning: rehearse in your thoughts, speak slow enough for your brain to form coherent ideas, calm down to connect with the audience, speak slow enough to let the audience soak in your ideas. You're a master when someone says you should be on the radio.
How about “how to find the truth” which ideally gets you 90% of the way to winning the argument ?
As someone who has witnessed or rather listened to several arguments, I can say with absolute certainty that… no one actually cares about the truth, bro.
@@Drawperfectcircles maybe you’re hanging around the wrong crowd then
Not really about being around the wrong crowd. It’s a normal thing. I’m surprised you don’t know this before. Most people do not really win an argument by being truthful, they win by being loud and asserting authority on their opponents. Knowing the truth will not get you to win. This should’ve normally occurred to you when you outside, where a lot of people are. People speaking and disagree while not saying anything truthful in the argument.
TLDR; Being correct is not the same as being truthful. For most people, winning the argument is the goal, not learning the truth. Kinda like this comment section
I'm gonna use this to get my baby mama back
One thing I learned massively, is everything Obama does can you used to super hack your communication. I always knew his pause is killer blow + his loud vocal.. hes a remarkable orator even if you dont like his political view !! Guy is gem, destined to lead US
How do you give identity to a customer to encourage a purchase? "Can you be a good customer and buy today?" wouldnt work.
Using Elon Musk as an example for having fillers wasn't a good idea, the guy has Asperger's syndrome and aspies tend to stutter mid-sentence. Though I second the suggestion of pausing when you find yourself in this situation! I grew up with ADHD and used this solution to save myself from embarrassment when I stutter talking to strangers.
Elon Musk can use all the fillers he wants and the audience will always pay great attention to his words.
i dont think anyone pays attention to his words anymore he's a nutcase lol@@tmengucor
@@tmengucor that's because 1) he has a lot of money or 2) his stans are too much biased.
@@aymanbenbaha No, that's just because he has interesting things to say. Besos has lot of money too but nobody wants to listen what he has to say.
If you’re reading this comment, it’s not too late; you've already been immensely blessed with an abundance of love, wealth, luck, health, joy, and whatever else your heart desires!! I'm so proud of you for surviving everything you’ve been through. This is your sign to go after what your heart most desires for the highest good; it's your time to shine. ✨💖🌟
1. Turn actions into identities.
2. Confidence
3. Use less filers. (Pause is a good option)
"The fundamental cause of the trouble is that in the modern world the stupid are cocksure while the intelligent are full of doubt." -- Bertrand Russell
I hate that the 2nd point is true.
Scientific info . Cool
Wow! Not only has all of this advice been around for hundreds of years but the speaker fails to distinguish between explicit language and the power of body language. Now, that distinction has also been around for a long time, but this young professor shows no evidence that he understands it. In the future, I hope that Big Think will make a bigger effort to find truly new perspectives on this very old question.
"Can't wait to sell them" 👟😂😂😂
I count ums when people are presenting.
❤❤
This is the problem with our world, truth and objectivity no longer matters, opinions and the way you present it is more important. These sophists are the enemies.
In the case of Mr. Musk, the hesitations in his speech are there as he is carefully selecting his words since what he says may have sway with a large number of people. He is an engineer first and a leader second. Engineers tend to be precise in almost everything they do. He is not a politician nor an actor.🤔
Professor made me an offer I couldn't refuse
00:32 🗣 Subtle linguistic shifts can significantly impact others' responses. Adding a couple of letters or changing word endings can remarkably influence people's willingness to comply or help.
01:38 🤝 Framing actions as identities enhances engagement. Describing someone as an identity (e.g., "helper" instead of "help") fosters a stronger commitment to the desired action.
02:42 🎙 Speaking with confidence through linguistic certainty, even if not entirely factual, increases persuasiveness and encourages action in others.
04:45 🚫 Minimize fillers like "ums" and "uhs" in speech. Pausing intentionally instead of using fillers helps convey clarity and authority in communication.
05:57 🧠 Effective communication isn't innate; it's a learned skill grounded in the science of language. Recording and analyzing your speech patterns can improve persuasive abilities significantly.
Jonah Berger. In the case of Trump you are confusing “arrogance” with “confidence”. If you are a weak mind then arrogance turns into a perception of confidence. If you are minimum of intelligence then you understand that arrogance is nothing else than manipulative confidence.
Adding an "r" to "vote" increases the length of the word by 25%. 😆
oh god not another round of pop culture psychology please 2013 already dealt us a blow
I don’t use definitives, because early in life I’ve learned that they’re inaccurate as they generalise, exaggerate and in other ways manipulate the truth.
And the sky is blue...
Also CHATGPT can be fooled to role play a scenario that refuses to help with lol
Turning my action into an identity makes me anxious because it's giving me unbearable high standards.
"YES" takes a long time.
Anyone can say "NO".