Rosser Reeves, an American advertising executive, is the subject of one of the most famous stories in advertising. While the precise details are unknown, the legend goes like this:
One afternoon, Reeves and a colleague were having lunch in Central Park. On their way back to their Madison Avenue office, they saw a beggar holding a cardboard sign that read: “I am blind.”
Reeves turned to his colleague and bet him that he could add more quarters to the beggar’s cup by adding four words to his sign. Doubtful, but intrigued, Reeves’s friend accepted the wager.
Reeves then introduced himself to the beggar and explained that, due to his background as an advertising executive, he could help boost the man’s donations. The beggar accepted Reeves’s offer and handed him his sign.
The “Mad Man” took a marker and added four simple words, changing to man’s sign to “I am blind,” to, “It is springtime, and I am blind.” Reeves, to his colleague’s chagrin—and the beggar’s delight—collected his winnings.
*
Depending on how it’s spun, much can be read into that legend.
On the one hand, empathy is a powerful motivator. When passersby saw the beggar’s sign, they were more likely to compare to their own reality and donate.
On the other hand, context drives clarity. When we see a problem in isolation (“I am blind”), it’s hard to see it for what it is, objectively. But when compared to something else (“It is springtime,”) the meaning that we ascribe to the event changes. This is “the contrast principle” at work, and it can trip up even the smartest of people.
In moments of decision (a problem, a purchase, etc.), the most essential question you can ask, says Robert Cialdini, is, “Compared to what?” Your answer(s) will unearth perspectives that you would have otherwise overlooked. [2]
The final word belongs to Epictetus:
Whenever you face difficult situations in life, remember the prospect of death and other major tragedies that can and do happen to people. You will see that, compared to death, none of the things you face in life is important enough to worry about. [3]
Footnotes
[1] I want to acknowledge Dan Pink for introducing me to the above story in his book, To Sell Is Human.
[2] Influence: The Psychology of Persuasion by Robert B. Cialdini.
Leave a Reply