There's no better compliment than the one we give ourselves. You're left to fill this blank in our natural, self-enhancing way. So when we're given entrance to a selective world-class nightclub without any explanation, we'll naturally assume that this reflects of our inherent greatness. In this scenario, you'd be deluding yourself into claiming you're above average.īut if you're like most drivers, you'll go your whole life without getting objective feedback. If you take a driver's test and the instructor informs you that, objectively speaking, you're only in the 30th percentile of all drivers, you have solid feedback about your actual driving ability, and you stack up compared to others. In exploring the psychology of positive ambiguity, we see that mystery is vital. Let's give a name to this idea: positive ambiguity. And these self-enhancing biases thrive amidst ambiguity. You don't have to be arrogant or over-confident it's just the way our minds naturally tilt. The tendency to find positive, self-enhancing explanations comes naturally. The vast majority of people also think they have "above average intelligence" and are "nicer than the average person." Of course, it doesn't take an advanced statistician to recognize the mathematical impossibility that 80% of the distribution is "above average." 80% of people consider themselves "better than average" drivers. Consider The Lake Wobegon Effect: on a range of dimensions, people regularly consider themselves to be above average. This self-enhancing bias produces some fascinating psychological findings. This is what psychologists call the self-enhancement bias: we're naturally prone to see ourselves most positively, especially when we have no evidence to the contrary. Left to its own devices, with no other explanation, the brain's stories will lean positive and personal. You connect with it and make it your own. You can create any explanation for this nice turn of events, all chipper and deeply personalized. We may not think it explicitly, but our brains effectively say, "Why did I get in, and all these other people didn't? It's because I'm amazing, clearly." Considering the positive outcome, we naturally craft an explanation that puts ourselves in the best possible light. Left without any concrete explanation, we're left to create it on our own. In both scenarios, you get in, but the second version feels much more special. Not only is it more enjoyable in the moment, but it provides a connection to the entire evening's experience. Why is that? It comes down to the psychology of ambiguity. You get up to the front of the line, and Sven says simply, "You can come in." You get up to the front of the line, and Sven says, "Congratulations, you just so happen to be the 200th person to get to the front of the line tonight. A well-crafted selection process turns a good experience into a great one. The process of getting in doesn't make the club great, but it does provide some critical icing on the cake. Once inside, The Berghain is an exceptional club, fully deserving of its global reputation. The Psychology of The Self-Enhancement Bias So what can the Berghain Bouncer teach us about marketing psychology? Let's dive in Beyond tantalizing clubgoers, it carries deep implications for brands and marketers, who have unrecognized opportunities to be a kind of Berghain Bouncer for their customers. This kind of selection process is called positive ambiguity: It delivers good news but maintains an air of mystery. And that's precisely why it's so powerful. ![]() A wide range of A-list celebrities, from Britney Spears to Elon Musk, have all been refused entry at the door. ![]() It's not about your looks, how friendly you come off, or how wealthy you appear. With so much on the line, how do you put yourself in Sven's good graces? Who gets in and who doesn't is ambiguous. A shake of his head the other way, and you're back to square one, ruminating over what could have been. A nod in the affirmative, and you're thrust into the belly of the 4th dimension. His word is final, and most people who reach the front of the line are turned away. Needless to say, he's not to be argued with. ![]() With his muscular build, distinctive face tattoos, and heavy piercings, he resembles the techno version of the final villain in a video game. Sven is an icon of The Berlin club scene, a figure nearly as famous as the club he bounces for. And not just any bouncer - The Berghain Bouncer, Sven Marquardt. When you reach the door, the bouncer decides your fate. Instead, everyone faces the same entry process: you stand in line, and you wait. No one is given special treatment, no matter how wealthy they are or how large their celebrity. There are no reservations, and you can't buy your way in by splurging on bottle service. The Berghain in Berlin is considered one of the best electronic clubs in the world.
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