How to perform reality distortion ?

Reality distortion is a process of sucking someone’s mind into an alternate reality in which you believe in; and by the end of this process, the other person would have made that alternate reality as his/her actual reality.

Now, why is this important ?

If you aspire to be a great leader, and choose to have a great following, this is a trait that you must possess.  Steve Jobs was particularly known for this method, and we all know how accomplished he was, as a leader.

Let’s take a deeper look at how to perform reality distortion –

1. Can you see passion in your eyes ?

Whenever you speak to someone about something you really love, your eyes dazzle, you speak your mind about the possibilities that might cross your path.  Just to make things understandable, think about that girl/guy you kept talking about with your friend. You tell them why you like that person; you describe that person’s eyes, or the way they swirl, or the way they smell, ANYTHING ! The point is that you don’t make it sound boring !

Next time you talk to someone about an alternate reality you want that person to believe in, start with talking about it in a slow paced manner, and also listen to what the other person says. As time passes, start with looking at their eyes intently (which indicates a hint of craziness and passion), as if you know EXACTLY what you’re talking about and maintain that throughout the rest of the conversation. You’ll project your apparent passion into their minds, and hence, convincing them will get only easier.

2. Before you try to convince the other person, start with a catchy dialogue –

This is what I observed in my experiments with reality distortion – Whenever I wanted to run an idea by a person, and I knew that it would be hard for me to do the convincing, I started the conversation with a, “This is probably the best idea I have ever thought of.”  or  “I spent a whole week to conjure up this idea, and I think you’ll love it too.”.

After this, the other person already shares enough of your enthusiasm about the idea, that they will lean towards getting on board with you.

Steve Jobs started his iPhone launch with,  “We’re going to make some history together today.”  

3. Scaling your vision –

So, this is the one rule that consistently works with creating a reality distortion field – Scaling your vision dramatically.

Let’s say you’re in the 90’s, and you wanted a bunch of engineers to build a mobile computer. You don’t tell them to build that. You say,  “Hey, you already use that computer quite a bit. You use it to write documents, you use to to access the Internet, you use it for a whole bunch of stuff.     Now, what if i told you that your whole experience can be put into a device which works while you’re on the move, and also fits into your palm ?

 Can you imagine the number of people who would start using it just to experience it ? Even people who wouldn’t have any real use for it would use it. We’re thinking about the future right now;  try to see what we will imagine when we build this mobile device, and hence, build the future! it’s exponential !   All this because of your will to use those engineering skills to make something so revolutionary ! “

See how the vision scaled from regular computing, to smartphones, to something incredible ? They don’t have to see proof of whether it’s possible; they need to believe it is possible. And if you scale your vision, the enthusiasm will naturally emanate from you. That enthusiasm is infectious. It will get the other person’s true attention, and inspire determination. Once you make sure the other person is enthusiastic about your vision, then landing them becomes even more easy.

4. Don’t say too much; don’t say too less –

If you say too less, then it’s obvious that you needed to say a little more even to seem like you believe in your idea. It definitely will not seem like you’re enthused about your idea.  On the other hand, if you say too much, you’ll appear dominating, and you come off like this arrogant, naive alpha.

The idea of you being the alpha must be born within the  other person’s mind, without you ever planting it directly. It’s like performing another operation in the movie “Inception”. The victim must not know you’re planting the idea.

Once you say whatever you want to, and you used the above 3 points in your little speech, the chances are that the other person already subconsciously respects you. They won’t feel inferior; they will present you with their ideas, and talk about your vision with you.

When they present you with their ideas, it means they’ve already decided to get on board with you. All you need to do is ask them.

5. Ask them –

You must bear in mind that asking them to do something you want them to do, must be the final step. If you directly ask them, and they agree to get on board with you, they won’t give it their best effort while working, because they don’t even share your passion for the company, or an idea. Real contribution is made when people who work with you believe in your vision, and your idea.

The entire process is an audition for both parties. You, as a leader must sell them your idea in a way that they feel most excited about. Especially when you’re a small startup, you can’t afford to have people who are just there to “get some startup experience”.  You need to make them believe in your idea and make them see how they contribute significantly to a much bigger picture.

Reality distortion is a concept which not just Steve Jobs could do. It can be mastered with practice. You won’t know you’re progressing, but you will know when the results are always with you. it’s a super power to possess in our modern world; and if this is used for the best of things, we truly can change the world.