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Lesson 5: Agency and Identity | Jonah Berger
Posted
October 13, 2025
October 13, 2025
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3:26Now PlayingIf someone says, “I run,” you might assume they go for a casual jog once a week. If they tell you, “I’m a runner,” now you might imagine they run long distances several times a week, sign up for regular races, and are incredibly loyal to a specific sneaker. These seemingly similar statements result in different images of behavior. According to marketing professor Jonah Berger, this is because one recounts an action, while the other declares an identity.
In this video lesson, he explores how shifting from using action words to identities can influence others’ behavior and help modify your own.
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About Jonah Berger:
Jonah Berger is a Wharton School professor and the internationally bestselling author of Magic Words, Contagious, Invisible Influence, and The Catalyst.
Dr. Berger is a world-renowned expert on natural language processing, change, word of mouth, influence, consumer behavior, and why things catch on. He has published over 80 articles in top-tier academic journals, teaches one of the world’s most popular online courses, and popular outlets like The New York Times and Harvard Business Review often cover his work. Berger has keynoted hundreds of major conferences and events like SXSW and Cannes Lions, advises various early-stage companies, and consults for organizations like Apple, Google, Nike, Amazon, GE, Moderna, and The Gates Foundation.
Find Jonah’s website and his latest book below:
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