Evil by Design: Interaction design to lead us into temptation

Lust

Lust and greed are more gullible than innocence.

Mason Cooley

We might often think of lust as sexual, but it actually describes an intense desire for any item. When we lust after something we stop thinking rationally. We look only for additional reasons to have it, not for reasons to abstain. So, when people have that craving, it doesn’t take much of a nudge to turn desire into action by convincing them to fulfill those lustful feelings.

Lust is a strong emotion. Tapping into that emotion gives control over many elements of a person’s life. Without lust, it’s unlikely we’d feel the irrational need to possess things that others have or keep more stuff than we actually need. Lust is the starting point; envy and greed are the results.

To harness lust, companies must first get people to like them so that they are inclined to do what the company wants. Then the company can create feelings of obligation in its customers using reciprocation; giving customers a small gift to get a larger commitment from them in the future. The gift doesn’t need to be anything tangible, so long as it fuels lust and thus breaks down the barriers of rational thought.

Creating lust: Using emotion to shape behavior

You’d think that when discussing lust, the many online dating sites would be a good source of examples. Unfortunately, the “science” behind the sites isn’t necessarily scientific. To start with, nobody actually knows what constitutes a good match. Individuals with different tastes and attributes ...