Browsing fruitlessly in a newsagency for something fresh or stimulating that was worth the cover price, I came across a small article in a mag called "Ultra" (what? I don't know) that said that the entire self-help industry is pretty much based on a pointless belief - that poeple can be motivated by rational reasons and good information. Rather, it posited, humans are much simpler. There are only two things that will cut through our dislike of change. Danger or Reward.
Our long slow generations of survival before the internet taught us to be conservative, to fear change, and all the chirpy infomercials about abercisers and healthy eathing in the world won't save us from eating ourselves to death. The only think that reaches the far depths of our processing units is to put it into much simpler terms. DANGER or REWARD.
That is a model I might be able to do something with.
2 comments:
Proximity is the other variable. A small reward with instant gratification (ie. a Tim Tam) always overwhelms the much greater danger (death from diabetes and heart disease) which is more distant.
Punishment is much more powerful when it closely follows the behaviour.
Excellent observation. Thank you. Proximity added to matrix.
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