The Little Book of Persuasion Quotes

“Whenever someone is heavily pressured into accepting a certain view or attitude, reactance can cause the subject to adopt or strengthen a view or attitude that is contrary to what was intended.”
― Sia Mohajer, The Little Book of Persuasion: Defend Yourself by Becoming a Skilled Persuader

“When others tell you what to do or not to do, we make a concerted effort to act in opposition. If our freedom to choose an action is threatened, we get a powerful feeling called “reactance”.”
― Sia Mohajer, The Little Book of Persuasion: Defend Yourself by Becoming a Skilled Persuader

“If you are what you eat then, to the world, you are how you dress. The passerby who only has one to two seconds must use the most powerful evidence to assess you —your clothing. I know it's quite superficial but, unfortunately, appearances provide a quick decision making tool when time is limited. In the realm of authority, clothing is a powerful symbol.”
― Sia Mohajer, The Little Book of Persuasion: Defend Yourself by Becoming a Skilled Persuader

“The appeal to altruism hopes to spur people into action through the promise of feelings of self-worth and pride. Negative self-feelings work conversely; making people feel bad. Asking others to comply with your request and mentioning potential negative social impressions appeals to our inner need to be seen as “good”.”
― Sia Mohajer, The Little Book of Persuasion: Defend Yourself by Becoming a Skilled Persuader

“Appealing to people's better nature is a powerful way to persuade others. Asking them to agree just because what you are asking is the “kind” thing to do works in two ways. First, you are setting an expectation of them and people naturally want to conform to this. Second, if they were not to do the “kind” action then that would imply they are somehow unkind.”
― Sia Mohajer, The Little Book of Persuasion: Defend Yourself by Becoming a Skilled Persuader

“Authority is really about trust. We want to trust another person to guide us in what to do. The sad truth is that most of us don't want to think for ourselves all the time. We want that figure in our lives to guide us and provide the message that implies, “Don't worry, everything is under control. Just listen to me.”
― Sia Mohajer, The Little Book of Persuasion: Defend Yourself by Becoming a Skilled Persuader

“The uniform of a policeman, the coat of a doctor or someone's title are all powerful vehicles for authority. The principle works in two ways. First, we will obey without thinking and, second, we don't permit ourselves to challenge it.”
― Sia Mohajer, The Little Book of Persuasion: Defend Yourself by Becoming a Skilled Persuader

“Not only are you curious but also there is a need for closure, to see the thing through. Buying an item creates tension in the form of wanting. I want the object and the release of tension I seek comes in the form of the purchase.”
― Sia Mohajer, The Little Book of Persuasion: Defend Yourself by Becoming a Skilled Persuader

“Insane pressure creates tension, we seek release from tension. This is the closure principle and it's simple—hound and annoy another person until they finally succumb and give in.”
― Sia Mohajer, The Little Book of Persuasion: Defend Yourself by Becoming a Skilled Persuader

“Although the initial request may be granted simply due to the need to appear polite and respectful, subsequent requests can trigger a belief that you actually like the requester or want to help them. In an attempt to justify the decision to ourselves of why we helped them, it becomes easy to convince ourselves of a willingness that previously didn't exist.”
― Sia Mohajer, The Little Book of Persuasion: Defend Yourself by Becoming a Skilled Persuader

“Want to get someone to do something for you? Start small. This is one of the classic compliance techniques; it involves a small request followed by a larger one.”
― Sia Mohajer, The Little Book of Persuasion: Defend Yourself by Becoming a Skilled Persuader

“Each advertisement or commercial represents an individual mythology, which also contributes to the overall brand mythology. Megabrand advertising doesn't just sell a product; it creates an emotional bond between the brand and the consumer. Advertising creates this bond by mythologizing the product; by humanizing it; and by giving the product a distinct identity, personality, and sensibility. Advertising mythologizes brands by wrapping them in consumers' dreams and fantasies.”
― Sia Mohajer, The Little Book of Persuasion: Defend Yourself by Becoming a Skilled Persuader

“The first impression is the most critical when creating association. This is also known as the “anchoring effect”; like a ship's anchor we overly value the first piece of information we experience, essentially weighing down all subsequent information.”
― Sia Mohajer, The Little Book of Persuasion: Defend Yourself by Becoming a Skilled Persuader

“Tomorrow you might interpret an event entirely differently than you would right now. Our experiences are not absolute but rather contextual.”
― Sia Mohajer, The Little Book of Persuasion: Defend Yourself by Becoming a Skilled Persuader

“we are most likely to find revolutions where a period of improving economic and social conditions is followed by a short, sharp reversal in those conditions. Thus it is not the traditionally most downtrodden people--who have come to see their deprivation as part of the natural order of things--who are especially liable to revolt. Instead, revolutionaries are more likely to be those who have been given at least some taste of a better life." When what we have is taken away we react even harsher than when conditions are already depressed.”
― Sia Mohajer, The Little Book of Persuasion: Defend Yourself by Becoming a Skilled Persuader