People often make decisions on the basis of this viral thinking, and baits take advantage of that fact by posing a hypothetical question. A very effective phrase to use is, “Is there any reason…?” Bear in mind that the more implicit your language, the stronger the mind virus—when you become more explicit, the person has more of a chance to evaluate it. If you were to ask Simpson if there’s any reason the next-door neighbor will say he saw him there, you’re giving him a better chance of overcoming it. He might happen to know the next-door neighbor is out of town, so he immediately responds,
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