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Mastering Human Nature: The Ultimate Art of Making Money

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Mastering Human Nature: The Ultimate Art of Making Money

Have you noticed that those who truly make big money can’t help but talk about “human nature” within three sentences of any conversation?

The breakfast vendor designs anti-scald soy milk cups not because soy milk is precious, but because he understands office workers’ anxiety about burning their hands when rushing to work. The vegetable seller always throws in a bunch of scallions after calculating the bill, exploiting people’s psychology of “loving a good deal.” Live-streaming hosts shout “counting down three numbers” not to rush orders, but to trigger people’s fear of missing out.

Making money, at its core, is a game with human nature.

I. Greed: Not a Derogatory Term, But the Oxygen of Business

Buffett once said: “Be fearful when others are greedy, and greedy when others are fearful.” But in reality, 99% of people spend their lives being “more greedy when others are greedy.” Live-streaming rooms’ “limited flash sales” and “last three items” aren’t essentially selling products—they’re selling the thrill of “winning by grabbing it.”

There was a man named Huang Zheng who saw everyone sharing “help me bargain” links in their social circles. While others saw this as spam, he saw the glimmer of deep human greed. Thus came Pinduoduo, whose core algorithm doesn’t calculate prices—it calculates the threshold of human greed.

To break this cycle, learn to install brake pads on your desires. Next time you see a “last 3 items” prompt, ask yourself: Would I still want this item if it weren’t discounted? This soul-searching question can save you considerable impulse purchases.

Those selling second-hand luxury goods who write “slight signs of use” in product descriptions actually earn 30% more than sellers who claim “90% new condition.” “People aren’t afraid of expensive prices—they’re afraid of bad deals. When you reveal flaws upfront, they actually find you trustworthy.”

This psychological trick is called the “blemishing effect”—proactively exposing weaknesses actually makes people lower their guard.

Next time you’re hooked by “buy one, get three free,” try the “need substitution method”: replace “can I get a good deal” with “will this thing collect dust after I buy it.”

II. Laziness: The Invisible Driver of Trillion-Dollar Markets

McDonald’s combo meals always outsell individual items, and pre-coordinated outfits more easily stimulate customers’ purchasing desire.

Steve Jobs saw through this long ago: consumers don’t really know what they want. But most people missed the second half—users don’t want choice; they want the ease of “don’t make me choose.”

Meituan’s Wang Xing had a particularly harsh observation: Most people will do anything to avoid thinking.

Zhang Yiming once said: Algorithms have no values, but human nature has weaknesses. When you’re lying in bed scrolling through videos, platforms use precise behavioral models to calculate what content can make you stay 0.1 seconds longer. They’re not selling products—they’re managing your attention.

Food delivery, short videos, smart recommendations… You think these are technological innovations? Essentially, they’re all turning “laziness” into business.

III. Vanity: The Price of “Being Seen”

Psychologist Maslow said: People spend their entire lives seeking significance. Your desire to drive luxury cars, buy expensive sneakers, carry designer bags—essentially, it’s all about wanting to “be seen.”

Former multi-level marketers never bragged about how good their products were. Instead, they trained agents on how to show off island vacations and payment receipts on social media. You think they were showing off wealth? They were creating dreams for customers—use my products, and you too can live this fabulously.

This approach is far more effective than direct sales. In psychology, it’s called the “mirror neuron effect”: when people see others’ lives, their brains unconsciously project themselves into those situations.

The LV store at Shanghai’s Plaza 66 never lacks customers. They’re not buying bags—they’re buying social currency. This is the most naked manifestation of the Veblen effect: the higher the price of goods, the more they can showcase the buyer’s status. The smiles of luxury sales associates are essentially professional services for customers’ vanity.

IV. The Most Sophisticated Approach: Turning Human Weaknesses into Growth Dividends

A writing teacher on a certain platform, while others sell “three-day mastery” courses, deliberately says: “Learning writing with me, you’ll definitely want a refund in the first month.” Result? Enrollment actually increased. “There’s too much ‘instant noodle’ content. When you tell the truth, people actually find you reliable.”

A gym designed weight-loss courses as “game levels”: lose 1kg to unlock new courses, and bring friends to form teams for shared classes. After three months, 70% of members renewed. People need instant feedback. Weight loss, being so anti-human nature, needs to be packaged like leveling up in a game.

When you can transform greed, hatred, and delusion into motivation for self-improvement, making money becomes a natural outcome.


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