Cialdini, who wrote the “Pre-suasion: A Revolutionary Way To Influence And Persuade,” made an interesting discovery: people who put their attention on something, either positive or negative, will use that in other areas of their life. He gave the anecdote of the Tylenol scare in Chicago as an example; bottles of Tylenol were tampered with by someone who put poisonous capsules in the bottles inside the store. People purchased them, and then several people died from them. This led the company to put out the batch numbers that were tampered with. This had high visibility and was concentrated in the news outlets for several weeks. Later, it was discovered that people playing the lottery were using the same series of batch numbers in sequence to try and win the lottery. Did they know they were using this series of numbers? No! Such a morbid take on what people will recall. So, for persuasion purposes, it seems that it does not matter what the story is or the information…if it saturates the mind of the consumer, they are more likely to recall that information out of context, and repeat it. That seems crazy, and oddly primitive, but it is no different than finding yourself attracted to someone who has your father’s or mother’s eyes…it is predictable, at best. It is fascinating that the memory of information can filter into the subconscious, and we find ourselves influenced by it without even knowing it. Sometimes long after the fact, this is encouraging for trying to influence and persuade for positive change, it seems the less we know, but the more we are bombarded with repetitive information, the more likely we will unwittingly choose one thing over another. Thanks to research and evidence-based information, we can possibly change the trajectory of, oh, I don’t know, global warming? Pretty cool…

If credibility has to be established up front, as Cialdini suggests in his book “Science of Persuasion,” what does this say about the social and emotional void that is palpable in the world today? Maybe it is just in the United States, but I felt that the idea that you can discuss something without the fear of being unliked or shamed or persecuted for thinking differently was something others shared in common. Maybe it is naive of me to assume people can be civil-minded when they disagree…So, this issue of credibility is not merely that the person is who they are persuading you they are, but there is something more vile, more insidious going on. It may be a matter of influence that people just refuse to think for themselves. They just clap and agree and smile and nod. They are “Waiting for Godot,” and they see this man, and they say, “Oh, okay, he seems to fit the part. He says all the right things, and when he is wrong…he doesn’t mean it.” This is unacceptable if you follow the requirements for credibility. But, maybe that is not the focus, the person standing on the stage…maybe it is the brainless bodies in the audience clapping. The emperor is naked, and they all smile and say he looks dashing. What to do with a culture that does not know who is credible or what that walks and talks like? Why is it that when you question the credibility of someone of great importance, you get a snide comment or a sneer from someone who says you are wrong and with no explanation given? This “groupthink” is very dangerous. Credibility’s true meaning has been hijacked just like “Fake News,” though I am not sure how the spin will play out. Until then, we must listen to how incredibly credible the important people are and pray that the majority wake up and say, “Hey, why is that guy walking around naked?”

This week we learned a great deal about how companies try to persuade you. Here is my personal experience with persuasion in action. I went to Kohl’s near my hometown to purchase some linens, they are nice, and affordable. I walk with purpose to the register to purchase these linens only to be asked if I would like to open a Kohl’s card.

“No, thank you,” I reply smiling, because I know the procedures the cashiers have to go through. The cashier then tries to persuade me by how much money I can save on Kohl’s cash and blah, blah, blah…I put my hand up and ask,

“Do you accept cash?”

To which the cashier looked at me, undeterred, and went right back into her rehearsed persuasion. Now, I understand and respect business as it is, but I was in a hurry, so I took the cash out and held it over my head. The cashier stopped and stared at me,

“What are you doing?” she asked quizzically.

“I am stretching my dollar, I feel you need to jump for my real cash, I am not partial to Kohl’s cash. I like the real stuff, I am pro cash.” I state, very seriously. The lady next to me giggled and looked down. The cashier was totally confused.

“You want me to “jump” for that? Are you serious?” she smirked.

“You want me to open a credit card with your store to charge me interest on purchases I can buy with cash?” I smirked back.

This is the system of persuasion that I personally enjoy taunting. I think they know I know what they know. It is all bullshit. Bullshit clubs, with bullshit dollars, to buy bullshit that is marked up 300% to be magically put on sale for 100%. Bite me Kohl’s. The end of this stand off was me slapping my twenty dollars down for a nineteen dollar purchase and exclaiming,

“Keep the change.”

Seriously, never had so much fun…

The Supermajority is an organization that pulls back the curtain to show how one-sided the world is when it comes to women’s rights, freedoms, issues, and concerns. As I thought about how to attempt writing my survey for fair and equitable pay, I found myself becoming irritated with the unfairness of pay for women. Same job? Same workload? Same responsibilities? Got a penis? Well! I will give you more money! Huh? Wait…what? So, I have a uterus that may or may not make tiny humans, so give it to the guy? Or is it that my uterus will make me moody and difficult for a week each month…or that I may be hysterical about something and make others uncomfortable? Just trying to see it from the corporate perspective, which is complete bullshit, by the way. Or, maybe it is the cultural emphasis on women staying home with the children, being responsible for their ailments, sickness, or “boo-boos,” because only moms know what to do…bullshit, again. Who decides what makes an employee a good investment? On what criteria? From where I am standing, I would say the penis has the unfair advantage. The penis is assertive, and it is considered effective and a “go-getter.” The uterus is assertive, and it is considered “bitchy” or difficult to work with. Well, the uterus is the incubator of life…ideas, solutions, if you will. It is still a backward way of thinking that men are the only necessary investment in the workforce; women are just a by-product of wars, shortages, and (God forbid) necessity. If “Necessity is the mother of invention,” then throw the uterus the money she deserves, for the love of Pete.

Pratkanis and Aronson described the “Essential Dilemma of Modern Democracy as Cognitive Misers”…huh? Okay, so these mental hoarders are known to not fully participate in the political discussions, only to be persuaded by limited reasoning. Well, isn’t that a kick in the pants? Listening to the local news today, I heard the discussion of how the impeachment inquiry is now being pushed by a vote into a full blown “process.” Now there are so many angles that are being exploited by both the Democrats and Republican; that will dull the senses of the masses to the point where no one will want to hear the word “impeachment.” We are waiting to be persuaded by these Congressmen and Congresswomen, who are spitting through their teeth about what is happening. Not to mention all the misinformation bleeding from the media on all cylinders. I, personally, try to understand the “what” and the “why” and keep finding myself not wanting to be a Cognitive Miser at all. I want to be persuaded that the information is correct and not “alternative facts…” If our forefathers who wrote the Constitution could have predicted today, they would probably be disappointed in the mass disinterest in our inalienable rights like free speech. I am afraid that the Cognitive Misers are going to be the voters who pick the most unqualified candidate because they do not have to think for themselves and search responsibly for the truth. This is a dilemma of epic proportions, and it is just compounded by the idea that the “people” are stupid and don’t know what they want. Well, Lebanon’s administration decided to try to tax a free app that the citizens use, and it sparked an uprising with several people dead. Lesson? Instant media gets instant reaction…it is prevalent in Hong Kong, as well. Democracy is worth fighting for, and we give up our rights quite easily, so we can feel like we had a say in our so-called democracy.

Be yourself; Everyone else is already taken.

— Oscar Wilde.

This is the first post on my new blog. I’m just getting this new blog going, so stay tuned for more. Subscribe below to get notified when I post new updates. So, I have had a long weekend of thinking about persuasive media influences, and I think the peer-to-peer thing is key. For me, I follow Facebook, and I am a wife, mom, grandma, sister, and friend. I try to turn off the sarcastic mantra in my head when I read posts, look at pictures, because everything is either political in nature, phony, or pandering. I like the instant information and misinformation that I can sift through while I eat a donut in the morning with my Coke (I don’t drink coffee); then I play a game or look at photos of my family or friends. I like that I can hear a new band or see a new grandniece over the miles. The social aspect is what draws me to it. I can be private, public, share, or block; I have some choice in the matter, which is also important to me. I do believe that access to media and information, personal information, is still being sorted out. The hacking of private information is scary…do these companies have our backs? Can it ruin someone’s life? How does this become regulated without stealing our ability to use these formats? How much is this going to cost us? Mark Zuckerberg wants to introduce a new monetary system through Facebook. Is that really necessary? I haven’t looked into it much yet because I am suspicious of cryptocurrency. I just do not trust it since it has been hacked already. It is impossible to talk about social media without acknowledging the political connections. This week, Lebanon started an uprising against its government because it wanted to charge its citizens for using a free app. A free app! People are not about to let a corrupt government dictate whether or not they can use a free app. There are so many ways to capitalize on this. It is not lost on the people, they are sick of the economic scarcity, the global manipulation of their access to information, if you will. I am fascinated by this…and a bit wary since I do not trust my government, either. This is still new territory. This is our newest expansion as a species. Let’s hope we get it right.

I spent half of my life trying to define who I was. It didn’t work…I was not who I thought I was. I was not happy with what I saw in myself. I am a creative person by nature. I am empathetic and pick up on the broken, the marginalized, the lonely. I am starting to redefine why I am here with a new openness. I have an idea where it came from. I am spiritually aware and very in tune with my shift. It is difficult to start over when you have had any kind of childhood trauma. I had more trauma in my life than I care to count, but I would not be who I am at all without it. I stop asking “why” now. I now say, “Okay, I am still here for what reason?” I must find out…