No. 87 · People · Human Nature and Judgement
Bait and Switch
An offer built to change once you are committed is not the offer you are buying.
In the Almanac
“Erik names Greenland”, 985 · “MoviePass”, 2017–2021
Both stories in full, three ways to use it and where it misleads.
Get the AlmanacListen · Watch
Questions
What is Bait and Switch?
Bait and Switch uses an appealing offer to win your attention, then substitutes something less favourable after you've invested time, effort or emotion. It works because walking away feels like wasting what you've already put in.
How do you use Bait and Switch?
When a deal changes, ask whether you'd have come for the new version. Get important promises in writing, and be honest about your own asks so you never borrow trust you can't repay.
When does Bait and Switch matter?
Bait and Switch is one of the 60 mental models for people, the situations where you ask: Why do people act as they do, and how do I work with them? Within that, it belongs to “Persuading and influencing”, alongside Anchoring, Backfire Effect and Dark Patterns.
What is an example of Bait and Switch?
Two stories show it at work: Erik names Greenland (985) and MoviePass (2017–2021). Both are told in full in The Mental Models Daily Almanac, which has two stories for each of its 365 models.
Which mental models are related to Bait and Switch?
Dark Patterns, Sunk Cost Fallacy and Commitment and Consistency Bias. Bait and Switch itself comes from human nature and judgement.