Influence: The Psychology of Persuasion It would be great to think individuals consider all available knowledge when making a decision. But very often, the truth is different. More than ever, we need shortcuts or rules of thumb to direct our decision-making in the constantly overloaded lives we lead. Understanding these shortcuts and using them in an ethical and effective way will greatly improve your likelihood of success. Influence is authority. When the circumstance dictates, we want to be able to use it. The fact is, [...]