Logic and analysis is how we rationalize our irrational choices in
life. Success, I believe, comes from providing that rationale while
feeding the irrational.
If you work in any industry that requires reaching out to other
people and convincing them to do something they wouldn't otherwise
do (and who on LinkedIn doesn't), I think this book is a must-read.
In a series of chapters that can quite comfortably be read
independently, Ariely lays bear some of the myths of the rational,
thinking consumer...the consumer to whom we lay out all of our
wonderful arguments and then struggle to understand why they don't
see the world the way we do.
At the moment, my main occupation is medical advertising, with a
focus on healthcare specialists (less on patients and consumers).
These are highly trained medical practitioners who have spent their
lives understanding the intricacies of the biological condition.
And yet, the amazing thing I've seen is that no matter how many
rational arguments I (or my clients) make for the use of a drug, if
our promotional efforts fail to touch these specialists at an
emotional level, the effort fails.
How could people so highly trained behave so irrationally?
In our case, I believe the chapter in Ariely's book on the fear of
making a bad decision...of limiting options...addresses much of
what we face in my industry.
For others, it may be the inherent power of "Free" or the little
devil that sits on our shoulder telling us that our dishonesty
hurts no one.
Gladwell has covered similar topics in his many books, but where
Gladwell recounts experiments done by other people, Ariely
discusses experiments he himself conducted with colleagues. This
adds a layer of conviction to the arguments and a bit of insight
that Gladwell can't provide. In that sense, I believe the authors
complement each other.
An easy read. An invaluable read."