Odd numbers are powerful, 3 reasons why
The more I spend time digging in to how and why mass marketing companies use psychology and behavioral marketing to influence us the more interesting I become.
What is about our brains and our decision making process they are trying “control,” “influence,” or “predict?”
While I obviously don’t have all of it figured out, nor may I ever have it all figured out, I am intrigued. That keeps this life-long learner investigating how can we put scientifically studied, hocus pocus, magical, ideas working for clients.
For example, in the online world we live, we are bombarded with information in blogs, like this, memes, videos or podcasts with ideas. Have you noticed the information are often “listical” in nature?
Why does it always seem it like it is “The Top 5 Reasons to Eat Kale!,” “7 Reasons You Are Hungry at Bedtime!,” “Why 9 is Better Than Ten?”
It seems the reason is the Power of Odd Numbers. But why are odd numbers so powerful?
Here are 3 reasons why.
- Odd numbers aren’t divisible by two. Well, that’s not exactly what gives it the power, but it does lead our brains to not split the score.
- Odd numbers give the person reviewing a proposal, auditing your tax return or reading your blog the sense the price, the amount of your deduction or the number of items in your listical weren’t made up out of thin air.
- Odd numbers are more interesting because of the tension they create and our brains don’t like that and want to resolve the tension.
I am sure there are additional reasons or explanations, like superstitions, for our attraction to odd numbers. Even if we could figure out all the reasons is it really that important? Or can we just take the knowledge and use it to help people get what they want or need?