The Godfather of Influence: What Makes Bob Bob, Part 2

What would make someone break up with the very field that made them successful? In the second installment of our special series on Robert Cialdini, we explore the experiences, values, and unexpected twists of fate that shaped one of behavioral science’s most influential thinkers. From his roots in a multicultural Milwaukee neighborhood to a Sliding Doors moment with minor league baseball, Bob’s story is full of twists and turns that reveal how an early curiosity can lead to a lifetime of revolutionary work.

We also ask some questions of our own: Why did Cialdini walk away from traditional laboratory research? Why did he go undercover in sales training programs? How could litter predict election outcomes? We search for answers with the help of Cialdini’s closest colleagues and collaborators, including Adam Grant, Katy Milkman, Angela Duckworth, Noah Goldstein, Barry Schwartz, and many others, who help us unpack why Bob’s work changed not only the field of psychology but also their own careers.

Finally, we dive into two of Cialdini’s biggest contributions beyond Influence: the concept of pre-suasion and the seventh principle of influence, unity. Together, they reveal why influence begins before we ever make a request and why shared identity can become one of the strongest forces shaping human behavior.

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