Mammalian brain · Social Drives & Status
Foot-in-the-Door & Micro-Commitments
A small yes makes a larger yes more likely; a chain of small agreements can carry someone to a commitment they would have refused outright.
An everyday example
Free trial, then a survey, then a small add-on, then the annual plan — each step 'consistent' with the last.
What it can cost you
Being walked up a staircase of consistency; micro-concessions in negotiation that sum to the whole deal.
Warning signs
- Saying no now would feel inconsistent.
- The small asks have added up.
One thing to do
Evaluate each request as if it were the first; tally what the small yeses have added up to before the next one.
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