[No. 25] Encountering Business Books: Understanding the 'Abuse' and 'Practice' of 'Influence'. 'Propaganda'
In this **[Encountering Business Books]** series, I will review one business book at a time that I have encountered and that has served as a catalyst for changing my perspective on life and business.
Book and Authors
The book I am introducing today is Anthony Pratkanis and Elliot Aronson**'Propaganda: The Formation of Men's Attitudes'**.
Introduction: Why are we deceived even when we 'know better'?
Last time, in [No. 24], we learned from 'Influence' how humans are automatically moved by 'seven principles' (such as reciprocity and scarcity).
So, what happens when advertisers and politicians use those 'principles' intentionally?
If 'Influence' is a book that scientifically proves the 'existence' of switches that move people, then this 'Propaganda' is a book that exposes the 'field of practice and abuse' regarding 'how those switches are pressed'.
These two books are truly a pair, and by reading both, we can gain perspectives from both the 'side that persuades people' and the 'side that is being persuaded'.
The Core of the Book: Advertising and Political Propaganda are the 'Same Thing'
The shock of this book lies in its assertion that the 'advertising (commercials)' we encounter daily and the 'political propaganda' we prefer to keep at a distance are 'exactly the same thing' in terms of the techniques they use.
1. Targeting 'emotion' rather than 'logic'
Principle: As we learned in 'Thinking, Fast and Slow', propaganda professionals know that people are moved not by 'System 2 (reason)' but by 'System 1 (intuition/emotion)'.
Lesson: They deliberately avoid 'logic (central route)' such as the pros and cons of policies or product specifications, and instead attack the 'peripheral route'.
Example: Politicians appeal to a 'likable personality' rather than 'policy'. Advertisements use 'popular celebrities (liking)' rather than 'performance'. These are all propaganda techniques that bypass reason and appeal directly to emotion.
2. Fanning fear and presenting a solution
Principle: The 'scarcity' from 'Influence: The Psychology of Persuasion' and the idea that 'fear' is the greatest motivator (Whitman).
Lesson: Propaganda professionals first intentionally create 'fear and anxiety' (e.g., 'Things will get terrible if you don't act,' 'You are losing out'). Then, they present their own products or policies as the only 'solution'.
3. Creating 'Common Sense' (Abuse of Social Proof)
Principle: 'Social Proof' from 'Influence: The Psychology of Persuasion' = What everyone is doing is correct.
Lesson: Propaganda stages its claims 'as if they were common sense in public opinion' and reports them repeatedly in the media. It silences minority opinions and creates an atmosphere where 'it is strange to go against this trend.'
Summary: We Cannot Escape 'Influence'
Reading 'Influence: The Psychology of Persuasion' and 'Propaganda' is like receiving a powerful vaccine.
We are constantly being subjected to 'influence' in every situation, including advertising, politics, and social media.
By learning the principles in 'Influence: The Psychology of Persuasion' and knowing the practical examples in this 'Propaganda,' we can finally realize 'what kind of mechanism is trying to move us right now.'
To learn the responsibility of the 'user' side as a marketer, and to 'live wisely' as a consumer, these two books are must-reads that should be read as a set.
▼ Recommended reading (from past series)
This is a must-read list that further explores the mechanisms of mass manipulation, such as 'techniques for targeting emotions (peripheral route) rather than logic' and the 'fabrication of fear and common sense' learned in 'Propaganda,' from the perspectives of psychology and neuroscience.
[No. 24] 'Influence: The Psychology of Persuasion' [Reason for selection: Explanation of the paired 'principles'] As mentioned in the article, this is a book that should be read as a complete set with this work. If 'Propaganda' is a book that exposes the 'abuse and practice (How)' of techniques, this is a bible for defense that reveals the '7 psychological switches (Why)' operating at the foundation.
[No. 167] 'The Crowd: A Study of the Popular Mind' [Reason for selection: The origin of mass manipulation] Why can propaganda (political advertising) so easily make many people enthusiastic? This is a historical masterpiece said to have been loved by dictators like Hitler. It depicts the mechanism by which humans lose their reason the moment they become a group (crowd) and become slaves to emotion through 'assertion' and 'repetition'.
[No. 21] 'Thinking, Fast and Slow' [Reason for selection: Proof of System 1 (emotion)] Why do propaganda masterminds avoid 'logic (central route)' such as policies and specifications? This is a deconstruction of cognitive bias in which a Nobel laureate completely proves the workings of intuition (System 1) and logic (System 2) mentioned in the article with experimental data.
[No. 4] 'Cashvertising: How to Use More than 100 Secrets of Ad-Agency Psychology to Make Big Money Selling Anything to Anyone' [Reason for selection: Commercial use of fear and social proof] A book that systematizes how to put into practice the law that 'fear is the greatest motivator,' cited in the article as Whitman's teaching, not in the world of politics but in the world of 'commercial advertising (marketing).' It is the best textbook for applying propaganda techniques to sales.
▲ I also introduce various other business books!
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