When it comes to your most basic behaviors, your primitive brain is like a turtle chasing a carrot; just dangle the carrot in the right place and the turtle keeps following and following.
Of course, modern companies have figured this out and spend bazillions of dollars trying to get their brand of carrot in front of your turtle.
Why do marketers target your primitive brain rather than your modern brain?
The answer is straightforward. While we are all snowflakes, at a subsystem level our primitive brain structures are much the same.
Mi tortuga es tu tortuga.
Thirst, hunger, territoriality, and sexuality are predictable, primeval drives that can be easily manipulated compared to a skeptical modern brain armed with executive function.
Don’t get us wrong. We’re not against sales and marketing. If a company can sell you their brand of socks, it isn’t going to hurt anyone—plus your feet will be nice and warm.
But unfortunately, when it comes to behaviors that affect your health, many companies rely on clickbait marketing aimed directly at your ancient brain.
