Our brains rely on shortcuts that simplify a hectic world. One shortcut is: “if there’s a reason, it must be valid”.
When we hear or read “because” or “that’s why” it signals to our brain – hey, all good, there’s a reason.
A famous study sent a researcher to a library with a copy machine. As people were about to use it, the researcher would approach them with the goal of using the copier first.
Sometimes the researcher asked, “Excuse me, I have 5 pages. May I use the machine?” Other times, they gave a reason, “Excuse me, I have 5 pages. May I use the machine because I’m in a rush?” 60% of people allowed the researcher to cut in line when he simply asked, and 94% complied when he offered a reason.
And now it gets interesting. They also tested, “Excuse me, I have 5 pages. May I use the machine because I have to make copies?”
To most of us, this excuse is nonsense! But if you’re not paying attention, you just hear the word “because”. Amazingly, 93% of people still allowed the researcher to cut in line.
Next Step
So the next time you have a small request to make, toss in a “because” just for good measure.