In Part 4, Emily shares a quiet story: a manager who kept promoting a well-liked underperformer because “everyone wanted him on the team.” Liking overrode competence. Sound familiar?
We’ve all heard it: “People buy from people they like.”
It sounds warm, fuzzy, and harmless. But in Influence, Chapter 2, Part 4 , Emily pulls back the curtain on the Liking principle—and her take is sharper, darker, and more useful than the typical “just be friendly” advice.
The danger isn’t malice. It’s automation. Your brain shortcuts: “I like them → I trust them → I say yes.”