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Made to Stick

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Once we know something, we find it hard to imagine what it was like not to know it. Our knowledge has “cursed” us. And it becomes difficult for us to share our knowledge with others, because we can’t readily re-create our listeners’ state of mind. — location: 312 ^ref-48455

plans are useful, in the sense that they are proof that planning has taken place. The planning process forces people to think through the right issues. — location: 402 ^ref-27839

They’re simple because they reflect the Commander’s Intent. It’s about elegance and prioritization, not dumbing down. — location: 471 ^ref-38879

“Burying the lead” occurs when the journalist lets the most important element of the story slip too far down in the story structure. — location: 501 ^ref-16355

uncertainty—even irrelevant uncertainty—can paralyze us. — location: 559 ^ref-6795

Giving students two good alternatives to studying, rather than one, paradoxically makes them less likely to choose either. This behavior isn’t “rational,” but it is human. — location: 570 ^ref-53931

If a message can’t be used to make predictions or decisions, it is without value, no matter how accurate or comprehensive it is. — location: 865 ^ref-11879

Accuracy to the point of uselessness is a symptom of the Curse of Knowledge. — location: 872 ^ref-47160

Unexpected ideas are more likely to stick because surprise makes us pay attention and think. — location: 1037 ^ref-64896

Abstraction demands some concrete foundation. Trying to teach an abstract principle without concrete foundations is like trying to start a house by building a roof in the air. — location: 1607 ^ref-47992

the jurors did make different judgments based on irrelevant vivid details. — location: 2114 ^ref-34534

Statistics are rarely meaningful in and of themselves. Statistics will, and should, almost always be used to illustrate a relationship. It’s more important for people to remember the relationship than the number. — location: 2180 ^ref-34569

“The most frequent reason for unsuccessful advertising is advertisers who are so full of their own accomplishments (the world’s best seed!) that they forget to tell us why we should buy (the world’s best lawn!).” — location: 2728 ^ref-40371