The invisible algorithms running human interaction. Short reads on how people actually work. The Benjamin Franklin Effect Want someone to like you? Don’t do them a favor. Ask them to do YOU a favor. Counterintuitive. Proven. The story: Benjamin Franklin had a rival in the Pennsylvania legislature who disliked him. Franklin didn’t try to win him over with kindness. Instead, he asked to borrow a rare book from the man’s library. ...
In the 1730s, Benjamin Franklin had a problem: a powerful rival in the Pennsylvania legislature hated him. This wasn’t just political disagreement. The man actively opposed Franklin, spread rumors, and worked to undermine him. Franklin needed this rival’s support, but direct persuasion had failed. So Franklin tried something counterintuitive. Instead of doing the man a favor or trying to win him over with charm, Franklin asked his rival for a favor. ...
I once spent $299 on a course I never watched. Not because I needed it. Not because I researched it. Not because it fit my learning style. I bought it because I saw “47,329 students enrolled.” My brain did the math: “47,000 people can’t be wrong. This must be good.” Spoiler: It wasn’t good. For me, anyway. The content was basic, the pacing was wrong, and I could’ve learned the same material for free. ...