Cialdini's 6 Principles of Persuasion

Biological Parallel

Cialdini's persuasion principles aren't psychological tricks—they're exploitation of evolved decision heuristics that served survival for millions of years. Reciprocity, social proof, authority, scarcity, consistency, and liking all emerge from biological strategies that worked in ancestral environments. Persuasion succeeds when it mimics these ancient signals, triggering automatic responses faster than conscious deliberation can intervene. Marketing is applied ethology.