Reciprocity is a hard-wired social norm that makes you feel obligated to return what someone gives you. A handshake demands a handshake back. A New Jersey driver signals you forward, and you signal them forward in return.
Reciprocity. Reciprocity works like this. It's a core hardwired concept. It's— it's the fabric of society depends on this. And how it works is that when someone does something towards you, that we reciprocate in kind. If I go up to you right now and I put my hand to shake your hand, you will feel a compulsion to shake my hand back. Why? Because it's reciprocity. It's what's expected of each other. What is given is received back. Here's an example of it. I speak quickly, as you notice, because I'm from New Jersey. And where I live in New Jersey is right outside New York City. We have more traffic flowing through this part of New Jersey, I would argue, than anywhere else in the world. And as I was coming to this event to get to the airport, I'm pulling my car out and it's bumper-to-bumper traffic. I mean bumper-to-bumper. I look down at my watch, I'm like, I am running a little bit late. As I'm looking down, the guy in front of me, I guess, started to flag me in, but I didn't notice. So what does he do? He starts doing this. And I'm still, I'm like looking down. I finally look up. By this time he's doing one of these moves. So what do I do? I acknowledge it by giving him this. Thank you, let me in. Reciprocity. He does this, I do this. The guy behind him, obviously got a little too close to his bumper, does this. So I do this. How often do you laugh when someone's doing this at you? I mean, yeah. Reciprocity, reciprocity. What is done to you, we reciprocate in kind.
