IM Works Because People Are Stupid

There's something that keeps popping in my head, and I can't quite grasp it myself so I'm curious about your thoughts on the subject...

Being someone who quite possibly spent the majority of their life on a computer, I've of course learned to tune out advertisements on websites, see through copy writing and sales pitches, and just overall just avoid being sold most things on the internet (besides outsourced work, that just saves me time and is essential). What really fucks my head up is the fact that something like the notorious "weight loss" niche / industry is so huge. Like normal advertisements are one thing, but weight loss is always obvious from the first glance. You see it and think "these motherfuckers are trying to sell me something".

But here's the part that's messing my head up: When it comes down to it "weight loss" isn't even a product. There's nothing easier to do than become skinny - you move...and stop eating garbage...it's really that simple and most people should know that. There's no magic secret, just 2 ridiculously simple steps: 1. stop eating garbage 2. move more than usual (ya ya.. sure you got a glandular issue you lazy fuck). How is it that something solved with a little body movement and self discipline can be turned into so many products that it's one of the largest industries in the world? Is IM really just a matter of banking on people's ignorance?

Basically my interests have shifted from wanting to know "How it works" or "How to convert traffic" into wanting to know "Why it works" and "Why did this idiot just buy this?". In a perfect world people buy something that they feel is more valuable to them than the amount of money that was required to purchase it. I'm starting to think that in this world, most things are purchased because of deception, misconceptions, and ignorance. I really think most people end up unsatisfied with a good majority of their purchases, and had they just known a little more before making the purchase then they probably wouldn't have bought "it" at all.

I know this is really just a bunch of ranting, unfinished thoughts and there's no specific point here - but if you've got something to add I'd love to hear your opinions.

The weight loss niche works because the majority of fat people are lazy as hell. When they see an ad for a proven working method to lose weight while eating garbage and watching television then it's like gold (or 10 cheese burgers if you will) to them.
Apply the same logic to the make money niche. They're selling dreams of making large amounts of money with almost no work required. When people want to believe something enough, they'll find a way to make it believable.

I'm not hating on overweight people or anything, it's just a fact that the (READ: ) majority are lazy, and they need some golden motivation.

I agree with you. Most people no matter what buy the idea of a thing more than the thing. This is why commercials and social proof work, if someone else does it and they are marginally satisfied I may be too. The real problem is humans are notoriously bad at estimating how satisfied they will be with something. The weight loss niche is one of the best examples of people overestimating the impact of something, they think that if person a lost a ton of weight with this I can too. which is where social proof comes in with spokes models and fine print. what they don't tell you is the actual nitty gritty of 6 hour a day workouts and the test group lost .5 lbs more with the product. Not necessarily BS but a oversimplification with a emphasis on results not the journey. We are also bad at being pessimistic in general, look at retirement savings pitifully low we think everything will be okay and we wont have health problems and our kids will come see us.

Sad truth is most people don't have willpower or discipline. Most haven't developed themselves into someone who is able to make significant life changes and stick to them.

If you told 1000 overweight people to wake up every morning at 7am jump on the treadmill for 1 hour, 5 days a week they have to do weight training, and to not eat more than 2200 calories per day (at least 50% of that being from fruits and vegetables and the rest all whole foods) how many do you think would actually do it?

If you told those 1000 to just run on the treadmill for 1 hour a day how many would?

If you told those 1000 to change their diet how many would?

Now of that small percentage who followed through how many would quit after 1 week? 1 month? 1 year? etc

You're left with such a small percentage by the end.

Bottom line is most people are complacent, they know what they want but they see change as PAINFUL. If you research NLP you will understand why people don't make lasting changes. They have mixed associations, they link the change (weight loss, building a successful business etc) with both pain and pleasure. People will do almost anything to avoid pain so they don't follow through.

To make big changes to your lifestyle isn't easy, there's almost always quite a bit of pain and struggle involved. On the other hand a weight loss pill offers a 'solution' with no pain attached to it. You simple take a pill and get your results over time. Same with get rich quick methods (WSOs etc) all those newbs who just want push button methods where they do nothing but scratch their balls and jerk off all day and get rich. They don't want to grind or learn complicated subjects.

Your answer in one line: people want instant gratification.

If you feel like you're fking people over by selling sawdust weight loss pills then why not make your own info product or something? Explain a real way for people to lose weight, pack it full of value and sell it.

I don't know why everyone is so hesitant to say the word: Yes, people are stupid and easy to manipulate with. They will buy impossible things, like oprah approved weight loss blueberries. When that goes to oblivion, there's dr oz who approved new revolutionary berries. You don't wanna miss that.

I only can't understand people who buy same things over and over again, with no returns. Diet pills, WSOs..

Free Man said:

I don't know why everyone is so hesitant to say the word: Yes, people are stupid and easy to manipulate with. They will buy impossible things, like oprah approved weight loss blueberries. When that goes to oblivion, there's dr oz who approved new revolutionary berries. You don't wanna miss that.

I only can't understand people who buy same things over and over again, with no returns. Diet pills, WSOs..

Click to expand...

I've been saying this for years. People are morons. Not all of them, but a large percentage. It's because we've been brought up in a world where people are taught to be tolerant and politically correct, and nice. So the morons end up living in a fantasy world where they believe in getting something for nothing.

Inb4 "That large percentage includes you".