Cialdini raamat
nize when we are most vulnerable to its influence. We have already had a hint of one
time when the principle of social proof worked best with the Chicago believers. It
was a sense of shaken confidence that triggered their craving for converts. In gen-
eral, when we are unsure of ourselves, when the situation is unclear or ambiguous,
when uncertainty reigns, we are most likely to look to and accept the actions of oth-
ers as correct (Sechrist 8{ Stangor, 2007; Wooten 8{ Reed, 1998; Zitek 8{ Hebl, 2007).
Another way that uncertainly develops is through lack of familiarity with a sit-
uation. Under such circumstances, people are especially likely to follow the lead of
others there. Consider how this simple insight allowed one man to become a mul-
timillionaire. His name was Sylvan Goldman and, after acquiring several small gro-
cery stores in 1934, he noticed that his customers stopped buying when their
annaabi.ee 
