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Issue #10

Freedom of Choice (Really?)

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Readers,

That job you took?
That feature you used?
That policy you agreed with?

Chances are, you didn’t choose it. You were nudged—cleverly, quietly—into consenting. Not by force, not by argument. But by design.

This is manufactured consent, and it runs everything from politics to product. The most dangerous thing about it? You don’t notice it. And worse—when done well, you think it was your idea.

Let’s get sharper.

Manufactured consent is the art of getting people to agree without ever asking them to. It’s not persuasion. It’s preselection. It’s giving someone the illusion of agency while guiding them to a foregone conclusion.

Every powerful operator uses it:

Steve Jobs let teams debate freely. Then he calmly concluded with what he wanted all along. The team applauded their own “decision.”

Duolingo doesn’t ask if you’ll come back tomorrow. It says your streak is in danger. You act. You feel it was your call.

The Medici ran “elections” in Florence—where all candidates were chosen in advance. The people celebrated their “voice.”

And now?

Your PM shows you two versions of a roadmap—both of which lead to their preferred outcome.

Your manager frames the new policy as a “team decision” after privately aligning with senior leadership.

Your relationship partner offers options: “Dinner out or cook together?”—never “Do you want to be alone tonight?”

None of these are evil. All of them are effective.

Here’s how to use it:

1. Pre-filter choices: Always shape the menu. Don’t ask, “What do you want to do?” Ask, “Should we move fast or be thorough?”
2. Stack the context: Frame everything. A “5% raise” feels generous after a “market crash.” Feels insulting after “record profits.”
3. Leverage the crowd: Show that others are already on board. Humans don’t like standing alone.

Why this matters:

Because if you’re not manufacturing consent, someone else is.
And if you’re not aware it’s happening, you’re the product—not the player.

Till next time,
Ayush