ThankS Dien and Gomer Pyle.

[Dien Rice]

Originally Posted by GordonJ

As Dien just wrote and Gomer used to shout,

SURPRISE, SURPRISE, SURPRISE.

Watched a movie last night and a character referred to himself as a Gomer, and when asked what that meant, he didn't know but thought it meant like a hick, or a country bumpkin. Some of us remember Gomer Pyle, and that beautiful baritone singing voice.

Hi Gordon,

I just read that Jim Nabors (who played Gomer Pyle on TV) spent the latter years of his life living on the beach on a macadamia farm in Maui.

I have this mental image of him watching the sunset over the waves. Crunching on macadamia nuts...

Every now and then he can't believe it, and exclaims... "Well, gol-ly!"

Anyhow, Dien wrote that he thought surprise plays a role in humor and comedy, and he is right, of course (as he almost always is {and is he thinking, what do you mean almost HA})

It is a secret weapon. And a reptilian leftover of survival.

Sudden shifts, unexpected things...movement, noise, smells...could put us on alert, or tickle our fancy.

I may write a report on it. Magicians use surprise to astound us.

Copywriters, screenwriters, playwrights, advertisers, mad men, and politicians use surprise everyday. Our POTUS used surprise to get into the White House.

Trump was NOT the usual, the same-old, same-old BORING, droning and long winded say nothing politician. He surprised people.

He surprised his opponents, seasoned politicos, experienced men with family names like Bush, long term senators, congressmen, and then on election night he surprised most of the world.

Guys who wear a big red nose in a diner will surprise us, as will the person who gives us a lottery ticket.

Now there are nuances to surprise, often we might be startled...may evoke a fight/flee/freeze response, like a big rat dragging a piece of pizza down the stairs.

How to use surprise for fun and profit?

One way, is to give more than they realized they were getting. The 13 donuts in your dozen, the extra slice on your pound, the bonus they weren't expecting.

SURPRISE your customers. Give them more than they expect, it will please them, and keep you in good humor as you smile your way to the bank.

When was the last time you were surprised?

GordonJ

PS. There are very subtle ways to surprise the subconscious mind, without your target even knowing, if you are a student of influence, the name Blair Warren is familiar. He wrote a great BEGINNER'S GUIDE to this topic with his FORBIDDEN KEYS TO PERSUASION. Many think it is the end all of influence, but it really just scratches the surface.

Have you read it?

I'll have to re-read my copy of Blair Warren!

I've been studying surprise for a long time... I believe it is more effective when tied into something the person already knows (rather than when it's about something people know nothing about)...

For example, if I say,

"a British tourist was killed by an Irukandji jellyfish..."

I feel that is less interesting than if I say

"a Louisiana farmer was killed by an ostrich..."

The last one I feel is more interesting (and surprising), because we feel we know something about ostriches, and we usually don't think about them killing humans! However, few people have heard of the Irukandji jellyfish...

British tourist killed by Irukandji jellyfish

Louisiana farmer killed in ostrich attack

Best wishes!

Dien

[GordonJ]

https://youtu.be/i-cXessab-I

They had some fun on this one.

gja