How to generate profits by exploiting human instincts?

In this post we discuss how we can go about exploiting human instincts to generate profits. Note that all these are System 1 artifacts (Thinking, Fast and Slow), that's why we call them instincts.

Spot the emotions:

Now, the first step towards the goal is to spot the emotions. The emotions may already be present or can be generated. The common way to generate emotions is via advertising. Advertisements can create different emotions in the viewers by methods like employing celebrities, insulting the competition, making sure what's being sold is cool and hip, etc.

Of note is that sometimes the emotions may already be present. Like when one is in a hospital, or a loved one is sick. Or when one is undergoing a divorce, or a pandemic is underway, or when one is happy to move into a new house.

Paradoxically enough, sometimes, you can create emotions by selling a product. Like a product can be cleverly designed to give a sense of incompleteness when it's bought. This emotion is commonly used to sell add-ons.

You can use more sinister means to create emotions, like making an entire population feel inadequate due to their skin color, culture, etc. This is wonderfully illustrated by imperial powers, and products like skin-creams, language classes, etc.

Create a product

Once you have spotted the emotions, by either generating them or spotting the already present ones, you are halfway there. Now, all you need to do is cleverly design a product that can leverage those emotions for profits. You need to make sure that the product is priced according to the intensity and urgency of the emotion spotted. Note that the product could be an abstraction.

Some examples:

Note that ALL products sold have emotions or instincts behind them that they are exploiting, because if there are no emotions you go in a state of Samadhi and have a want for nothing.