Pull It
Psychological lever is the new thing I learned last Wednesday. Psychological levers are all around us yet we typically do not see them. In fact, I think we all use them even when we do not know we are using them. Psychological levers are words or actions we use to steer a person in a certain direction. They are the favorite tool of infomercial pitchmen and interrogators.
In Houston, there is the Oriental rug store that has been going out of business for as long as I can remember. On television, there are the commercials for the limited edition coins that will never be made again yet the commercials have been on for years. Then there is the oh so common, “This deal on the car is only good for today” pitch.
I saw a classic example on television program where a police interrogator was talking with a suspect in an assault. The suspect was fishing to see what information they had on him. His body language suggested he wanted to cut a deal, but he kept fishing. He made a subtle remark about being a born again Christian, and the interrogator jumped on it. He asked the suspect if he knew what WWJD meant. He said no, and the officer told him it stood for, “What Would Jesus Do.” You could see a visible change in the suspect. The officer just tripped a Psychological Lever. Working the religion angle, the officer was able to get a confession out of the suspect.
Psychological levers are a form of manipulation in my opinion, but if you can use them to help steer someone down a better path or at least think a little differently, then I’m all for it. At some point today, there will be an opportunity for you to pull a lever. Make it a good pull.
Rodney - Sometimes I Pull My Own Lever
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