How to Coach Yourself and Others Beware of Manipulation | Page 187

71. Truth by Association
To produce a convincing argument that something
is true, first associate it with something else that is
already accepted as true.
If necessary, spend time developing the unassailable
truth of the first truth before associating the second
item with it.
Example
We all know that Shakespeare wrote great plays.
Wilkins was a a good friend of Shakespeare and
wrote several plays which of course are of high
quality.
You already have a Ford which you've said has
been very reliable, which of course you need. So
let's look at some other Fords.

Why it works
The basic equations that prove truth by association are as follows:
A = true;
B is associated with A;
Therefore B = true.
Our brains are associative and easily connect things together. In particular, we assume that if two
things are similar in some way, they are likely to be similar in others ways, including abstractions such
as reliability and truth.
This principle is used in branding where the attributes of one item are assumed to also be found in
another item. In this way we conclude all Volvo cars are strong, Porche's are fast, Toyotas are reliable
and so on.

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