psychology

The Psychology of Persuasion

3 minutes of reading

Knowing how to persuade someone into doing something is an important skill to get things done. Today, we’ll explore the psychology of persuasion. We’ll learn about some of the key factors that determine how effective our persuasion attempts are, and what we can do to improve our own persuasion skills. Whether you’re trying to convince your boss to give you a raise or trying to get your significant other to see things your way, understanding how persuasion works can help you achieve your objectives.

Psychology of persuasion: what it is and how it works

The psychology of persuasion is the study of how people can be influenced to change their opinions or behavior. It is a branch of social psychology that investigates the psychological factors influencing people’s decisions and actions.

Persuasion begins with a message that is conveyed through a channel to a receiver. The message may be verbal or nonverbal, and the receiver may be aware or unaware that the message is intended to persuade them to do something.

Different methods of persuasion and their effectiveness

There are many methods of persuasion, and their effectiveness depends on the situation involved. These can be divided into three main categories:

  1. Emotional
  2. Logical
  3. Social.

Emotional persuasion relies on appealing to the emotions of the audience. This can be done by invoking fear, guilt, or even love. For example, a commercial might use fear to persuade someone to buy a product, by showing them what could happen if they don’t. Guilt can also be used as an effective tactic.

Logical persuasion is to persuade based on reasoning and evidence. It is a strategy where the argument is made based on laying down facts and let the audience reach a conclusion.

Social persuasion is when our thoughts and actions are intentionally influenced by other people. It involves reciprocity. We tend to do a favor for someone who has done something for us.

The power of persuasion in sales, marketing and advertising

Salespersons use persuasion techniques every day to convince people to buy their products. By understanding how persuasion works, you can use these techniques to your advantage in your personal and professional life, and not just for boosting sales of a product/service.

Advertising and marketing are two industries that have long relied on the power of persuasion to drive results. After all, what is advertising if not an attempt to persuade someone to buy a product or service? And what is marketing if not an attempt to persuade someone to buy into a brand?

The power of persuasion is no secret. In fact, it is one of the most commonly used tactics in both advertising and marketing, often in very subtle ways.

The dark side of persuasion: how it can be used to manipulate and control others

Persuasion is a form of influence where you convince someone to think or behave in a certain way. Thus, it can be used for either good or evil purposes. When used with a good intent, it can help people make positive changes in their lives. When used in an evil manner, it can be used to manipulate and control others.

The dark side of persuasion involves influencing people to do things that are harmful to themselves.

How to resist persuasion and think for yourself

Most of us are susceptible to persuasion without even realizing it. We may be influenced by a friend, family member, or even a stranger without meaning to be. However, there are ways to resist persuasion and think for yourself.

Here are a few handy tips to resist persuasion:

Be aware of your own biases.

We all have conscious or subconscious biases, which make us more likely to be persuaded by someone.

Be alert.

We can spot persuasion attempts and try to resist them.

Counter-argue

Debating over why their persuasion is wrong and strongly holding onto your beliefs.

Embrace Empathy

2 minutes of reading

Lack of empathy is becoming an increasingly dangerous trait, as we see a rise in inflammatory rhetoric leading to ever more extreme societal ills.

Empathy is not just about seeing the world from someone else’s point of view but also about understanding their history, cultural background and life story. Empathy can also be seen as being kind to somebody even if they don’t deserve it.

Empathy is also a fundamental and necessary asset for managers in the workplace, as it leads to better employee morale and an overall improved work environment. On the other end of the spectrum, a lack of empathy can lead to increased stress levels, burnout, and disengagement from company culture.

In a world where the problems are complex and vast, it’s essential to think about empathy. Empathising with the people we serve is an important step to caring for them.

Empathy is a potent tool that all humans should use in a world with many problems. It helps us care for other people and ensure that we understand whatever they need of us. It’s necessary before we can begin to care for someone else and do what they might need from us.

How to Practice Empathy?

  1. Be genuinely curious about others – Be aware of their thoughts and feelings.
  2. Imagine yourself in other’s shoes – This helps us understand a problem or an emotion from the other person’s perspective.
  3. Be an attentive listener – Be an active listener. It helps one enhance their ability to understand and communicate better.
  4. Discover similarities – The purpose is to understand our common likes. Researches examine that why we prefer people who are similar to us.
  5. Share who you are – Be genuine and authentic with the other person. It creates trust, safe space and happiness.
  6. Validate other’s feelings – Emotional validation is to learn, understand and accept another person’s emotional experience.

What does empathy mean to you and when is it most important to use empathy?

Mental health ‘check in’ on your loved one

2 minutes of reading

We always look out for the people we love—parents, partners, children, friends, and siblings. We take care of them when they fall in and take them to the hospital if they get hurt. So why not look out for their mental health as well? Read the blog ahead to know how to do that. 

Some signs to look out for are your loved one feeling sad or low. They could show confused thinking patterns, less concentration, and extreme mood changes; some could withdraw from social situations. Physical symptoms include low energy or always tiredness, sleeping issues, inability to deal with problems, excess alcohol and drug use, changed eating habits, violent behaviour and suicidal thinking. 

If you consistently see these signs in a loved one, try to talk about them. Ask what has happened and what the issue is. To do a simple checkup, these are a few tips:

  • Look for the signs mentioned above. Observe their behaviour.
  • Ask basic questions like how they are feeling.
  • Listen to them carefully and patiently. Active listening is essential.
  • Do not compare the issue with yourself or others. 
  • Offer encouragement and support.
  • Ask them if you can help in any way.
  • Have an open and honest discussion about your concerns.
  • Don’t judge them.
  • Bring this topic up only when you think it’s a good time to talk and when both of you are a bit relaxed and have time. 
  • If you think they might harm themselves or are exhausting themselves with their thoughts, seek professional help.

If you observe any of the mentioned signs and feel concerned about your loved one’s mental health, then suggest therapy. Motivate that person to speak to a professional and seek help. Take care of your loved one. 

How to become resilient?

3 minutes of reading

Resilience is a common psychological term describing a person’s ability to cope with challenging situations. It fundamentally refers to positive adaptation or the potential to maintain optimum mental health despite undergoing adversity. Everyone uses resilience to overcome stress, but it is not necessary to always be resilient, especially in situations of trauma or anxiety. 

Resilience is unlike a trampoline, where you are down one moment and up the next. It is more about climbing a mountain without the help of a trail map. It requires time, strength, and help from people. You will experience setbacks on the way, but gradually, you reach the top and look behind at how far you have travelled.

Factors Determining Resilience

Developing resilience is complicated and personal and involves a combination of inner strengths and external resources. There is a combination of factors required to build resilience and there is no simple method to overcome adversity. Certain protective factors can help individuals build resilience by modifying coping skills and adaptability. These factors include:

  • Social assistance

If an individual undergoes trauma or crisis, social support or assistance plays a vital role in their life. Social assistance can be provided by the immediate family, extended family, friends, society, and organizations.

  • Authentic Planning

It is defined as the ability to make and implement realistic plans to help individuals tap on their strengths and concentrate on achievable goals.

  • Self-esteem

It is described as positive self-worth and confidence in oneself. The strength can help the person deal with the feelings of helplessness when facing adversity. 

  • Coping Skills

Both coping and problem-solving skills can help uplift a person who has to face difficulties and overcome hardship.

  • Communication Skills

Communicating correctly helps the person ask for support, mobilize resources and take appropriate actions.

  • Management of Emotions

The potential to manage overwhelming emotions or seek support to work through them helps the person sustain the focus when facing a challenge. 

Ways of Building Resilience 

  1. Interrogate yourself: will it matter in the coming five years? If it doesn’t matter in five years, maybe it is not worth disturbing your peace. 
  2. Give no one the authority to degrade your self-worth by believing in those who believe in you. 
  3. Spend quality and pleasant time with your favourite person or the one who inspires you at least once a week or two weeks. 
  4. Volunteer for a good cause because volunteering is equivalent to better physical and emotional health.
  5. Live your days of life in line with the sense of the larger purpose of your life.
  6. Embrace yourself by being authentic and accepting the way you are.
  7. Recognize and accept that everyone around is struggling and keep a soft heart while offering forgiveness.
  8. Be kind to yourself and others.
  9. Show gratitude.
  10. Do every work creatively instead of fighting unexpected and uncontrollable situations.
  11. Feel connected to nature and spend time noticing the natural beauty around you.
  12. Take proper and at least 7 to 8 hours of sleep in a day. 
  13. Practice deep breathing and meditation for a short time in a day.
  14. Avoid constant sitting.
  15. Read something that inspires you and boosts your self-confidence and well-being. 
  16. Learn self-control.
  17. Foster your spirituality and take out time to integrate it into your life. 
  18. If required, take help from mental health professionals and never feel ashamed of considering your mental health your priority. 

It is imperative to control an individual’s environment and promote protective factors while working on demands and stressors that an individual faces. Resilience is not something people can utilize only during hard times; instead, it builds up as individuals encounter all kinds of stressors.