How to generate clicks

April 26, 2019 by Joshua
in Blog

Focusing on nonjudgment and support has taught me a lot. People like responding to judgment.

Mental model: I'm right. You're wrong

Want clicks? Put judgment in a headline. “The right way to X,” “The best Y,” “What’s wrong with Z.”

Want long-term attention? Invent a word or concept that sounds objective but is subjective, sound authoritative, and throw in some judgment.

Think “orthorexia nervosa.” Someone made up a term to imply people focus too much on eating healthy. Some guy based on a hunch. The term sounds medical. For improving the human condition, making the term up doesn’t help. It just confuses. But for generating attention, brilliant.

Devoid of solid grounding, people will go back and forth forever.

For example: boxers or briefs in men’s underwear. There’s no right or wrong, but articles appear year in, year out, as if people can’t decide for themselves.

I wanted to point out this pattern in bigger areas.

It works and people use it in all of ethics and most of philosophy. People make up terms like right, wrong, good, bad, evil, justice, etc.

I’m not saying conversation on these terms is pointless, just that it never ends and distracts people from deciding what’s right, wrong, good, bad, or evil for them. They just accept what others suggest.

Read my weekly newsletter

On initiative, leadership, the environment, and burpees

We won't send you spam. Unsubscribe at any time. Powered by Kit

Leave a Reply

Sign up for my weekly newsletter