Have you ever asked yourself what makes people support one idea instead of another? Ideas dominate the political scene, and in the last several years, we see how extended supported models are stepping back In favor of new understandings, paradigms, and concepts that are at the same time fresh and with no evidence that will sustain in time.
Up to now, nothing new – right?
The same goes for business. Many companies adopt an idea that often comes close to them instead of an idea that may look more profitable. Marketeers position products based on emotions. Companies position themselves as an employer of choice by trying to communicate close relationships with people’s values and inner world.
People need something to hold them connected. This something is often overlooked in communication and leads to unpleasant conseùences for everyone in the loop. We are what we are, and nothing can shape us more than our beliefs and internal standards. To support and adopt an idea or reject it is not a question of belonging but a question of value. We constantly search for the best outcome for us. And no matter if it is an idea, a proposal, an offer, or something else, the value is crucial to deciding or not about it. There are different theories about the importance, but for me, the value chain has always been built based on three value streams:
FUNCTIONAL VALUE
The first and most common value proposition is always if the idea can be beneficial and can function for us. People tend to focus on things that can make their lives and work engagements easier and more effective. No matter what we choose, we always want to get more for our money. Those who “buy” ideas only for the status do not benefit from them enough. The functional value of the concept is the base we step on to decide if we will support it or deny it. The gap between the functionality and practicality of the idea and our understanding defines our behaviour toward it. The functional discrepancy can easily cause us to stop supporting an idea or even a product. Look at what happened with no keyboard smartphones. Once dominated by one company market is no longer in its creator’s hands. At the same time, keyboardless smart devices are dominating the world, being accepted as more functional and easily usable. No matter the area, the principle is the same. The closer the functionality level to our understanding is, the more value we create at the start of our journey with an idea.
SOCIAL VALUE
Have you ever seen an idea evolving without any connection with society? Even closed communities operate intending to attract people through the value of being part of a group that shares their beliefs and understandings. The social value shows the support and the readiness the idea gets in the surrounding world. Searching for the social meaning of the value and the benefit from adopting the concept in that particular context it is served to us is a vital element of accepting the idea and developing over it. As close the social value of the picture for us is, the stronger the connection toward it grows. History has many examples of social value. Religions, armies, political ideologies, and social and economic causes create value by offering the single person opportunity to become a part of something much bigger than themselves.
EMOTIONAL VALUE
Do you know why some songs have been so popular for many years and will be for many years ahead?
The simple answer is: Because of the emotions they create. During the COVID pandemics, people got very emotional about every idea spread from governments and crisis groups, especially in the first year. Backed up with anger and willingness to fight the status quo created by the World health organization, our governmental decisions, people started movements, protested as much as they wanted, disobeyed official restrictions, etc. And if you think that this was caused by people being wreckless snd don’t care about each other’s life, you need to look again at what happened. The emotions created and spread around were, in most cases, grown from the understanding that personal freedom is threatened. So people got very sensitive, trying to defend what they thought could have been taken from them. In some cases, the behavior eroded to unpleasant consequences. But the main point was that emotions and not logic led people on the street now and will be in the future.
We are tempted to follow the idea that creates an emotionally positive answer to our needs. Whether it is correct or not, people are connected to the idea just because they see themselves as part of a community, supporting their emotional world. The closer the emotions are, the more people react with many faces like they are the same person.
IN CONCLUSION:
Ideas come and go. People move from one idea to another, support one cause after the other, and make one move to realize that this move has caused them to gain or lose value as the more a person is connected on different levels with an idea, the more valuable this idea and the chances it has to be supported from this person. The ground set by functionality and then expanded with social and emotions is the best combination to give idea support and live. The closer the three elements are, the stronger the support for an idea is.
The Human place 