WHO’S THE AUTHOR
‘Don't ask, don't get’ is attributed to Mahatma Gandhi (1869-1948), Indian lawyer, anti-colonial nationalist and political ethicist who employed nonviolent resistance to lead the successful campaign for India's independence from British rule. Unfortunately, I could not find out when he made this statement. Other famous Gandhi quotes are: 'First they ignore you, then they laugh at you, then they fight you, then you win' and 'You must be the change you wish to see in the world.'
HOW TO APPLY IT IN YOUR EVERY DAY LIFE
In the book Influence, the Psychology of Persuasion by American Professor of Psychology Robert B. Cialdini, we learn about six ways of influencing others to procure a greater chance of getting a yes from our interlocutor: reciprocity, consistency, consensus, liking, authority and scarcity. Check them out in the article!
WHAT DOES IT MEAN?
The meaning is straightforward: You already have a no. You can get a yes. The key question then is how can you increase the chance of getting a yes as an answer?
NICE TO KNOW...
American entrepreneur Sylvan Goldman experienced the concept of consensus when he ran a few grocery shops called ‘Humpty Dumpty’ with his brother. He noticed that customers stopped shopping when their baskets were too heavy. So he invented the shopping trolley. But despite being easy to use, customers didn’t want to use them. Then Goldman hired men and women of all ages to walk around their stores with the shopping trolleys. He died a multi-millionaire.
