The Power of Suggestion
Friday, June 14, 2024
by Aleksander Poniewierski, APConsulting We all know that expensive perfumes smell better than cheap ones. A heavy wine bottle must contain a superior drink. A well-dressed gentleman scores more points with future in-laws than one in casual attire. Even a pricey car creates the perception that its driver (often not the owner) is a wealthy person. We fall for appearances. Sociologists conduct various studies to understand and explain why we are so susceptible to suggestion. The placebo effect or Asch's conformity experiments demonstrate that, as a rule, we are very easily influenced. This tendency is often ruthlessly exploited by various fraudsters to our detriment. In nature, the suggestive colors of insects or birds are designed to mislead potential predators. In a store, they aim to persuade wealthy customers to make purchases. Things are not as they appear or as they are described. In today’s world, this applies especially—if not primarily—to technology. From everyday tools to sophisticated devices for aesthetic medicine, the art of manipulation has reached new levels. In the world of data, this manipulation is used even more relentlessly. A few days ago, Apple unveiled its new iOS 18 operating system. Hundreds of articles hailed the innovations and features that will “change our world forever.” In reality, it’s just a handful of minor improvements and gimmicks (and the intelligent assistant isn’t even available yet—for those eager to download the developer beta, don’t bother). Meanwhile, heated debates rage on about an allegedly unforgivable clause in Adobe’s new terms of service. This clause asks users to accept that the results of their work—e.g., photos or graphics—can be used to train AI algorithms. Few noticed that such a provision (albeit in a different form) has been part of the Creative Cloud license agreement for quite some time. Euphoria and outrage. Proclamations of a new era or the end of the world. Conformity driven by the faces of famous celebrities or multimillionaires makes us believe in fairy tales. Naivety or laziness? Or perhaps a tendency to rely on "authorities" without even skimming the details? Yesterday, I read an excellent analysis of the behavior and content published by a national security influencer. It was a short text but brilliantly described how easily we allow ourselves to be manipulated—or even have stereotypes or ways of thinking implanted in our minds—just because this influencer looks good, has a calm, intelligent-sounding voice, and an appealing demeanor. What they say doesn’t really matter, as most of us don’t rationally analyze facts; we simply accept them as truth. It’s like listening to songs in Spanish, Korean, or English when you don’t know the language. You have no idea what the song is about, but it sounds good. The problem arises when you use such a song as background music for a video and publish it. If you're unlucky, that combination might be, at best, laughable. The power of suggestion is a formidable weapon, and when wielded in social media, it shapes the perceptions, preferences, and choices of millions.