People are more influenced by visual persuasion, emotion, repetition, and simplicity than they are by details and facts.
The Power of Confidence
- Confidence is a key factor in persuasion
- Trump’s confidence, even when unfounded, convinced many people to support him
- Confidence can be contagious, leading others to become more confident in their own beliefs
- Being confident in your own beliefs can be more effective
The Importance of Being Outrageous
- In today’s society, the louder and more outrageous a person is, the more attention they will receive
- Trump’s sensationalist claims and constant media presence silenced his opponents and dominated the media landscape
- To maintain public attention, Trump had to constantly say outrageous things
- Trump’s opponents couldn’t compete in the court of public opinion because they were too “normal”
The Persuasion of Win Bigly
- In his book, Scott Adams examines how Donald Trump used persuasion techniques, such as pre-suasion and emotional contagion, to win the 2016 election
- Adams also provides insight into how these techniques can be used by readers in their own lives
- Trump effectively primed his audience to be receptive to his message by repeatedly speaking about making America great again before discussing specific policies
The Persuasion Filter
- Scott Adams suggests using the persuasion filter, a framework for analyzing persuasive messages, to better understand how Trump was able to win over voters.
- The persuasion filter consists of four elements:The messenger: Trump’s celebrity status, unconventional appearance, and unconventional behavior all contributed to his appeal as a messenger.
- The message: Trump’s slogan “Make America Great Again” was simple, memorable, and emotionally charged.
- The audience: Trump’s message resonated with people who felt left behind by the political establishment and were looking for a change.
- The circumstances: The political climate and the media landscape were conducive to Trump’s message and helped him to stand out among his opponents.
Decision-Making:
- Humans often think they make decisions based on logic, but most decisions are actually based on emotion.
- The tendency to justify decisions after they are made is called post-rationalization.
- Some biases that can lead to sub-optimal decision-making include the sunk cost fallacy (continuing to invest in something due to previous investments) and the endowment effect (overvaluing what we have and undervaluing what we don’t).
- Once aware of these biases, it is possible to make more rational decisions.
Human Decision-Making and Emotion
- Most decisions are made based on emotion, rather than logic
- Post-rationalization allows us to justify our choices after the fact
- Biases such as the sunk cost fallacy and endowment effect can lead to suboptimal decisions
- Becoming aware of these biases can help to make more rational decisions
Trump’s Media Dominance
- Trump’s success was due in part to his willingness to say anything, no matter how outrageous.
- This kept him in the spotlight and ensured constant media coverage, effectively silencing his opponents.
- In today’s society, the more outrageous and attention-seeking a person is, the more media coverage they will receive.
The Power of Emotional Contagion
- Trump used emotional contagion, the idea that emotions can be contagious, to his advantage.
- He was able to tap into people’s fears and emotions to persuade them to support him.
- By focusing on the emotional impact of his message, Trump was able to bypass people’s logical defenses and appeal directly to their emotions.
