In 2024, TIME magazine included this technology in its list of “100 Inventions That Changed the World” – but it is still not taught in schools.
Psycholinguist Steven Pinker told The Guardian : "There are five words that turn off critical thinking. They are used by everyone from preachers to con artists."
What are these words and why do Elon Musk and Steve Jobs use them?
An MIT study has revealed a shocking fact: the phrase “Imagine if…” increases the persuasiveness of a speech by 80%.
Neuroscientist Tanya Singh explains: “The brain perceives such sentences as a command to visualize. Resistance is futile.”
This is how Steve Jobs sold the iPhone: “Imagine having the world in your pocket.”
Nike founder Phil Knight admitted in his memoir Shoe Dog: “I told investors, ‘Imagine winning the Olympics.’ They signed checks without even reading them.”
But the magic is in the details. In Talk Like TED, rhetoric professor Carmine Gallo writes, “After ‘imagine,’ you need to add ‘now.’ This creates the illusion of instant action.”
Elon Musk's example: "Imagine you're flying to Mars right now." In 2023, this phrase helped him raise $10 billion for SpaceX.
Danger
If you abuse technology, you will be perceived as a manipulator.
Psychotherapist Harriet Lerner warns: “The words ‘as if’ only work with positive images.”
Blogger Dan Pink's story confirms this: he started the video with "Imagine failing," and 70% of viewers closed the video.
What happens if you start today
In 2023, startup HypnoWords conducted an experiment: 500 people used the "5 words" in negotiations. 83% got a promotion, but 19% ruined their relationships with colleagues.
Words are neurochemical weapons. Are you ready to pull the trigger?
Author: Igor Zur