# 50. Self-delusion - the manipulation of self ## 50.5. Methodology/Refinements/Sub-species ### 50.5.10. Anchoring effect This is the tendency to rely too heavily, or "anchor," on a past reference, or on just one piece of information, when making decisions. Most of us think that when we make a decision, we do so as a result of a rational analysis of all known factors. However, it is now recognised that very often our decisions can be heavily biased by initial impressions or other bits of patchy information which influence our rational decision making ability. Anchor points can be something as innocent as the original price on an object in a sale. Your first perception lingers in your mind, affecting later perceptions and decisions. So if something appears to have been originally cut in price from 200€ to 70€, the perception of the true value of the item is fixed at 200€. This is despite the fact that, without having known about the 200€ original price, you may rationally have valued the item at a much lower price. The anchor in this case is 200€ and this value influences all further decisions about whether to buy the item or not. Anchoring is not only a form of self-delusion; it is also a phenomenon that is used by manipulators to persuade a victim to act in a certain way, or to believe a certain thing. In the above example, a shopkeeper has used the technique to create an anchor point of 200€ and is manipulating customers who see the sale price as an excellent price reduction.