FOMO is what usually decides what path we choose. We all want to belong & be accepted. Nobody wants to be the only one who doesn't know what's happening or the one on the bench. We all want to participate. Wherher its a conversation or an activity, we want to be part of it. I also think, in a way, noone wants to follow a lesson plan by someone who did everything right from the start. It makes them feel that since they started wrong they won't ever get it right. I know I wouldn't want to take financial advice from someone born with a silver spoon, I want to hear from the guy/woman who went from the housing projects to their dream house.
Thank you for your sharing & for the examples. They helped make things clear on how to word things. The only thing i would've found more useful would be to have an opposing example. It's wonderful to learn what to do, but it's just as important to know what not to do. Regardless, I found this interesting & helpful.
Lovely to hear that you found the insights helpful. And thanks for sharing your thoughts. When you understand how people think and what makes them tick, writing not only becomes good, it becomes enjoyable as well.
Response to Psychology Meets Writing: "It’s true that writing becomes enjoyable once you understand the mechanics of thought. That intersection of psychology and communication is exactly what I've been synthesizing for over a decade in developing my own behavioral and organizational design systems, like 'Loop OS' and 'Phoenix Builder'."
Response to SJ LaBosco: "FOMO is a powerful motivator, but shifting from that 'participation' mindset to an 'Identity-First' approach changes everything. When you build systems—like my 'Identity-First Intake' framework—you stop chasing what everyone else is doing and start creating structures based on internal values rather than external pressures."
I grew up a fatherless African-American boy in Washington Heights, a predominantly Dominican neighborhood where George Washington once lived. The streets were filled with the War on Drugs, and I spent 54 years of my life navigating that reality and trying to survive it.
When COVID came, it took almost everything from me—my life as I knew it, my relationships, and eventually my mother. I went through a psychological storm and fell into addictions with alcohol and cigarettes while trying to understand what my life had become.
Somewhere in that darkness, I began writing. At first it was just a way to keep my mind together and remember the sacrifices it took to survive the streets and the battles of my life. But as I kept writing, I realized something important: I didn’t just have a talent for writing—I had a talent for surviving.
From that pain and recovery I created a storytelling form and company called Poetic Cinema, turning my experiences into art, books, and a living archive of memories.
This is so helpful. I am used to writing academic stuff - all polished and third person - but this type of writing is now accused of being AI-generated, so I am learning how to write differently and for audiences outside of academia. These tips are really helpful and have made me think today. I have noted them down!! Thanks for sharing.
This is useful, and it also made me wonder about the other side of it. If every post starts using psychological hooks, does attention eventually adapt? At some point, maybe the least engineered thing in the room becomes the most interesting.
Yeah, that’s what’s happening with AI as well. Readers have subconsciously started identifying AI characteristics, such as the em dash or ‘it’s not just x, it’s also y’ structures. These were good writing elements, but AI has now made them pretty useless. That might be true for psychological hooks as well if you overdo them. I guess it’s about reading the room.
That's so true; I love em dashes (or used to), but now I remove them even if they make sense. You are correct; the point is to read the room and not mindlessly implement the strategies! Thanks for sharing.
Great article! I’ll definitely be considering this as I write trainings. I’m an instructional designer and always looking for ways to engage and mitigate learner. Thanks for these insights.
Yes — it’s called loss aversion. We often put more time and energy into our losses instead of the gains , even jf the gains were of more significance than the losses. It’s also so telling about us as people. We don’t want to experience loss because it feels like missing out, we want to know more, we are looking to compensate etc. knowing all these small details helps to engage your audience in a way that resonates with them.
Obsessed with this. You’d probably love The Life and Culture Edit—my digital journal on soft power, elevated living, and modern money. Quiet moves, curated vibes. Tap in at jordyn.substack.com
I think… if I actually understood “hooks,” I would probably write them better… because things I’m told are hooks would not even attract my notice, let alone my fae-cursed attention…
Crucial point regarding the 'attention economy'. I’ve found that applying an 'Identity-First Intake' framework to my own content helps bridge that gap between grabbing attention and providing genuine value for the local communities I'm building with Control City."
FOMO is what usually decides what path we choose. We all want to belong & be accepted. Nobody wants to be the only one who doesn't know what's happening or the one on the bench. We all want to participate. Wherher its a conversation or an activity, we want to be part of it. I also think, in a way, noone wants to follow a lesson plan by someone who did everything right from the start. It makes them feel that since they started wrong they won't ever get it right. I know I wouldn't want to take financial advice from someone born with a silver spoon, I want to hear from the guy/woman who went from the housing projects to their dream house.
Thank you for your sharing & for the examples. They helped make things clear on how to word things. The only thing i would've found more useful would be to have an opposing example. It's wonderful to learn what to do, but it's just as important to know what not to do. Regardless, I found this interesting & helpful.
Lovely to hear that you found the insights helpful. And thanks for sharing your thoughts. When you understand how people think and what makes them tick, writing not only becomes good, it becomes enjoyable as well.
Agreed.
Response to Psychology Meets Writing: "It’s true that writing becomes enjoyable once you understand the mechanics of thought. That intersection of psychology and communication is exactly what I've been synthesizing for over a decade in developing my own behavioral and organizational design systems, like 'Loop OS' and 'Phoenix Builder'."
Response to SJ LaBosco: "FOMO is a powerful motivator, but shifting from that 'participation' mindset to an 'Identity-First' approach changes everything. When you build systems—like my 'Identity-First Intake' framework—you stop chasing what everyone else is doing and start creating structures based on internal values rather than external pressures."
I grew up a fatherless African-American boy in Washington Heights, a predominantly Dominican neighborhood where George Washington once lived. The streets were filled with the War on Drugs, and I spent 54 years of my life navigating that reality and trying to survive it.
When COVID came, it took almost everything from me—my life as I knew it, my relationships, and eventually my mother. I went through a psychological storm and fell into addictions with alcohol and cigarettes while trying to understand what my life had become.
Somewhere in that darkness, I began writing. At first it was just a way to keep my mind together and remember the sacrifices it took to survive the streets and the battles of my life. But as I kept writing, I realized something important: I didn’t just have a talent for writing—I had a talent for surviving.
From that pain and recovery I created a storytelling form and company called Poetic Cinema, turning my experiences into art, books, and a living archive of memories.
Awesome. I wish you best of luck. :)
Heart to heart…
This is so helpful. I am used to writing academic stuff - all polished and third person - but this type of writing is now accused of being AI-generated, so I am learning how to write differently and for audiences outside of academia. These tips are really helpful and have made me think today. I have noted them down!! Thanks for sharing.
Yeah, AI only takes our average and regurgitates it back. To stand out, I think we’ll need to make more of an effort to be genuine and authentic.
This is useful, and it also made me wonder about the other side of it. If every post starts using psychological hooks, does attention eventually adapt? At some point, maybe the least engineered thing in the room becomes the most interesting.
Yeah, that’s what’s happening with AI as well. Readers have subconsciously started identifying AI characteristics, such as the em dash or ‘it’s not just x, it’s also y’ structures. These were good writing elements, but AI has now made them pretty useless. That might be true for psychological hooks as well if you overdo them. I guess it’s about reading the room.
That's so true; I love em dashes (or used to), but now I remove them even if they make sense. You are correct; the point is to read the room and not mindlessly implement the strategies! Thanks for sharing.
Great article! I’ll definitely be considering this as I write trainings. I’m an instructional designer and always looking for ways to engage and mitigate learner. Thanks for these insights.
Lovely. I’m glad this could be of value to you Tristan. :)
Thank for this insight!
I’m glad you liked the piece. :)
This has been so helpful! Thank you 🙏🏾
I’m glad it resonated. :)
Thanks for sharing 🙏🏾
Yes — it’s called loss aversion. We often put more time and energy into our losses instead of the gains , even jf the gains were of more significance than the losses. It’s also so telling about us as people. We don’t want to experience loss because it feels like missing out, we want to know more, we are looking to compensate etc. knowing all these small details helps to engage your audience in a way that resonates with them.
Absolutely. Fear of loss tells us so much about ourselves.
Obsessed with this. You’d probably love The Life and Culture Edit—my digital journal on soft power, elevated living, and modern money. Quiet moves, curated vibes. Tap in at jordyn.substack.com
Awesome. I'll check it out. :)
helpful 💐
pretty chill 🤙🏿😎
This piece has really great insights
I think… if I actually understood “hooks,” I would probably write them better… because things I’m told are hooks would not even attract my notice, let alone my fae-cursed attention…
Crucial point regarding the 'attention economy'. I’ve found that applying an 'Identity-First Intake' framework to my own content helps bridge that gap between grabbing attention and providing genuine value for the local communities I'm building with Control City."
I love this! Thank you