As soon as we make a choice, we are faced with both internal and external pressures to remain committed to that choice. These pressures cause us to act in ways that justify our initial decision. In many cases, we deceive ourselves so intensely that our thoughts and beliefs begin to form in a way that justifies our initial, often wrong, choice. And many critical decisions in life—such as choosing a career path or a life partner—create a momentum for the subsequent chapters of our lives, driven by this mechanism. One day, we might ask ourselves how we were persuaded to stay on this path for decades and why we are not happy.

It’s interesting to note that the mechanism of commitment and consistency has deep evolutionary roots and helps us in many aspects of social life. However, it also leads to a chain of continuous mistakes, where a wrong decision is made, and then we reframe our entire worldview around that wrong choice to convince ourselves that the initial decision was wise. We may never escape this labyrinth and realize from an external perspective how a single wrong decision has trapped us in a cycle of poor choices.

My personal experience from medical school was that hundreds of talented young people, without ever examining their interests and abilities, simply entered a field because they had strong mathematical skills or a good memory that allowed them to achieve a high rank in the entrance exams. Yet, this world they entered wasn’t necessarily aligned with their true talents. Only a few, mostly by accident and not by understanding the vicious cycle of commitment and consistency, managed to break free. The rest got caught up in a new race for greater commitment. Today, many of my talented friends don’t have fulfilling careers.

In the world of sales and marketing, techniques based on commitment and consistency are widely used to persuade customers. One of the most common techniques is called “Foot-in-the-Door.” You may have encountered well-dressed marketers in shopping centers who seem to be filling out a questionnaire for a field research study. However, the questions are designed to subtly guide you toward expressing interest in their products or services. Once you show interest in a product or service as an answer to one of the questions, they gently lead you to commit to buying that product or service. Often, they can even sell you a discount coupon right there, under the guise of a seemingly casual offer.

A Practical Tip for Using this Persuasion Technique:

Writing can enhance the power of the commitment and consistency technique. It has been proven that if you write down your goals, the likelihood of sticking to them and achieving them increases. As I write this, the Iranian New Year has begun, and many of us have the opportunity to plan for the days and months ahead. My recommendation is to write your goals down, refer to them, and regularly revisit them. This way, the power of commitment and consistency will kick in, creating an additional energy to help you achieve your objectives.

Wishing you a prosperous year ahead.