“I’m gonna have to start scrambling:” Persuasion used in Survivor.
My friends and I love watching Survivor. I started watching it last semester with my roommate and it has quickly become one of my favorite shows. As I have watched I have noticed that the ones who can make it the longest are very good at persuading others to vote with them. I have also noticed that in general, when people think that they are getting voted out, they “scramble,” which basically means they do everything and anything to persuade the other members to keep them on the show. It’s always interesting to watch and think about how I would react in a similar situation. It’s easy when you are sitting at home, to think you would do everything right. However, nobody goes on the show Survivor thinking, “I’m going to make mistakes and lose.” The key is understanding that you will make mistakes, but knowing how to manage those mistakes and persuade your other tribe members that they might be less than they seem.
So how do the winners persuade others to keep them in the tribe? Many times through action the don’t need to persuade others, they are providing fish or food for the tribe through a set of skills they have so they say, “Without me you have no food.” Others look to persuade others how loyal they will be, and try to prove that an alliance will be fruitful. The most interesting to me, however, is that many will persuade against others and why they should go home. Early in the show, people will try to persuade that others are the weakest link and that they need to go so that the tribe can be successful. Later in the show, when it becomes more of an individual competition, they try to convince others that whoever the biggest threat to win should go home.
It also brings to question the idea of Liking. If you are more well liked in the show, one you are less likely to get voted off, but two you are more likely to persuade others and take control of the game. It’s so much fun to watch how those who are not well liked will scramble to not get voted off, and those that are well liked are rarely worried. This creates the opportunity for a blindside, which is when someone who isn’t expecting to go home does. Survivor is a mix of being self confident so you don’t seem weak, but also not being so confident that you annoy anyone. I often find myself predicting the outcome of many votes based on how persuasive someone is, or is not. I also can sometimes get caught off guard by a result because I personally didn’t think it was that convincing, but the people on the show do. I don’t think I’ll ever be a part of the show, because it’s too much drama for me. However, it is a lot of fun to watch and I think anyone who appreciates persuasion will enjoy.
No Comments