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What Is Invisible Influence?

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James Lenz Photo
Professional Development Manager
CUES

1 minute

Shownotes for the CUES Podcast episode 40 with Jonah Berger

Is it true that your choices are driven by your own personal preferences and opinions?

Before I recorded the CUES Podcast episode 40 with Jonah Berger, I asked seven people that question. They all said yes, their decisions are driven by their personal preferences and opinions. And I’m guessing that’s what you said, too.

But is it true?

“In some ways, the seven people that you surveyed are right,” said Berger, a best-selling author and professor at the Wharton School of the University of Pennsylvania. “Everyone believes—that word believes is very important—that their choices are driven by their preferences and opinions.

“But it’s mostly wrong. We don’t realize it but others have a huge impact on our behavior from small things, like what breakfast cereal we might buy and whether we take one route or another to work to big things like what company we work for, who we marry and the bigger life decisions that we make.”

There are invisible influences all around us and understanding them will help us harness their power, he added.

Berger is author of two books, Invisible Influence: The Hidden Forces That Shape Behavior and Contagious: Why Things Catch On.

Listen to my interview with Jonah Berger.

The CUES podcast is an audio program hosted by James Lenz, CUES professional development manager. James talks to credit union and cross-industry experts for their perspectives on trends and topics that matter to you.

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