44g2: Defending against social proof and peer-suasion

Suppose there is a long queue in front of a restaurant or café, too many product reviews for a product, or many people rushing to buy something, and we follow them. In that case, we need to stop and ask ourselves: “Do I really want that thing, or do I follow these people without thinking? Do I really need that thing, or does the social pressure influence me?” Only when we stop for a moment, look around, and ask ourselves these questions can we truly grasp the impact of social proof. When we realize that exploitation exists, we should make it apparent to everyone that their behavior is “engineered.” Likes, shares, reposts, and other social media interactions are the prominent supporters of this phenomenon. Once something goes viral, everyone rushes to buy it.

• Related Note(s):
  • When growing in a career, don’t be fooled by the popularity of the roles (e.g., the popularity of a staff engineer). Evaluate them well.
  • Asking these questions will break the convenience of following others. However, it’s a must-have to survive without going broke.
  • In the stock market, when the price of a stock goes up, everyone rushes to buy it. The more people buy, the more it proves that the price goes up. Until it doesn’t. Don’t be affected by it. Source(s): Influence by Robert B. Cialdini