's Key Ideas from The Catalyst
by Jonah Berger

You see, according to the Law of Inertia, an object in motion tends to stay in motion; an object at rest tends to stay at rest. For people, the same holds true.

• People vote for the candidates they have supported in the past.
• The budget from the previous year serves as the project's foundation.
• The way that investors invest remains consistent.

In Chemistry, a catalyst is a substance that speeds up a chemical reaction without being consumed by the reaction. Faster change with less energy? It seemed impossible. But it worked, and it revolutionized Chemistry.

Causing a change in the social world is about being a catalyst to changing people's perceptions by:

• removing obstacles that prevent them from acting
• listening and establishing trust
• motivating and relieving pressure
• reducing their anxieties, uncertainties, and hostility

Imagine people as cars and ideas as roads. Ideas that are welcomed are like roads without potholes. The trip is smooth, fun, enjoyable, and friendly. But when faced with an idea that is difficult to accept, it turns into an inclined road, and it becomes harder for the car to move.

So what do we do? Of course, we hit the gas pedal. We push and push and push, and the car still doesn't budge.

Rather than knowing "Why hasn’t that person changed already? What is blocking them?", we focus more on the desired outcome that we are consumed with how to push people in that direction.

Forcing to push the car on an inclined road is the same as pushing people toward an idea that they don't believe in or don't understand. The more you push, the more they resist.

Being a catalyst is about finding those hidden breaks that are preventing the change and eliminating them.

The five ways to be a catalyst can be organized into an acronym. Catalysts —

• reduce Reactance
• ease Endowment
• shrink Distance
• alleviate Uncertainty
• find Corroborating Evidence

Taken together, that forms an acronym, REDUCE, which is exactly what great catalysts do. They REDUCE roadblocks. They change minds and incite action by reducing barriers to change.

When pushed, people push back.

People have an innate anti-persuasion system. Radar that kicks in when they sense someone is trying to convince them.

To lower this barrier, catalysts encourage people to persuade themselves.

Learn about the science of reactance, how warnings become recommendations, and the power of tactical empathy.

If it ain't broke, don't fix it.

People are wedded to what they’re already doing. And unless what they’re doing is terrible, they don’t want to switch.

To ease endowment, or people’s attachment to the status quo, catalysts highlight how inaction isn’t as costless as it seems.

Another barrier is distance. If new information is within people’s zone of acceptance, they’re willing to listen. But if it is too far away, in the region of rejection, everything flips. Communication is ignored or, even worse, increases opposition.

Learn how to find the unsticking points to change minds on the seemingly toughest issues.

Change often involves uncertainty. To overcome this barrier, catalysts make things easier to try.

Sometimes one person, no matter how knowledgeable or assured, is not enough. Some things just need more proof. More evidence to overcome the translation problem and drive change. Sure, one person endorsed something, but what does their endorsement say about whether I’ll like it?

To overcome this barrier, catalysts find reinforcement. Corroborating evidence.