“Often we don't realize that our attitude toward something has been influenced by the number of times we have been exposed to it in the past.”

Why it was said

Cialdini writes this in the liking chapter of Influence, where he reviews the research on familiarity: repeated exposure to a face, a name or a product tends to make people like it more, even when they do not remember the earlier encounters.

What it actually means

The unsettling word in this line is 'realize'. Repeated exposure works below awareness, so it does not feel like persuasion; it feels like your own taste. A brand you have seen a hundred times seems trustworthy, a name you have heard often seems credible, and you experience that as judgment rather than repetition. Cialdini's point is not that familiarity is always a bad guide, but that it is a weak reason that feels like a strong one. The defence is not to distrust everything familiar. It is to notice when the main thing a choice has going for it is that you have seen it before.

How to use it

1. 1When you prefer one option, ask whether you know something good about it or have simply seen it more often.
2. 2Before choosing a bank in Istanbul, Can lists what he actually knows about each one's fees; the one he 'trusted' turns out to be the one with the most billboards on his commute.
3. 3If you are the one persuading, remember that steady, honest presence builds familiarity; one loud campaign rarely does.