The 7 fascination triggers

Speaker, author, and brand innovation consultant Sally Hogshead says in her article How to Fascinate:

We all have certain behaviors that don’t exactly make sense, even to ourselves. We make certain choices, and take certain actions, without understanding exactly why. Here’s why: In a state of fascination, we don’t think and act quite logically. We do things we don’t understand, we believe messages we don’t agree with, and we buy things we don’t even want. The attraction short-circuits our logical evaluation process.

Fascination explains why people join suicidal cults, or develop bizarre fetishes, or willingly obey tyrannical dictators. More commonly (but just as irrationally), they buy sports cars they can’t afford, procrastinate on major deadlines, or fall in love with the “wrong” person....

According to Sally these are the seven fascination triggers:

1. Mystique--Why we’re intrigued by unanswered questions
2. Lust--Why we’re seduced by the anticipation of pleasure
3. Alarm--Why we take action at the threat of negative consequences
4. Power--Why we focus on people and things that control us
5. Vice--Why we’re tempted by novelty and “forbidden fruit”
6. Prestige--Why we fixate on rank and respect
7. Trust--Why we’re loyal to reliable options