Influence: The Psychology of Persuasion

In his Preface, Cialdini says that his intention in writing the book has been to create a popular text accessible to non-academic individuals. Do you agree that the average person benefits from the knowledge in Influence? Why or why not?

What does Cialdini mean when he refers to the seven levers of influence as “shortcuts?” How and why are these shortcuts used in the digital age? Which shortcuts do you think you tend to use most often, and why?

How is influence used and misused in the political realm? What, if anything, could be done to mitigate the misuse of influence in politics?