This is Hidden Brain.
I'm Shankar Vedanta.
More than five decades ago,
an iconic scene in an iconic movie damaged the way millions of people thought about the art of negotiation.
In The Godfather, Marlon Brando, playing the role of mafia boss Vito Corleone,
is approached by his godson, Johnny Fontaine.
The younger man wants a part in a movie, but a big shot Hollywood executive refuses to give it to him.
The mafia leader assures his godson that he will get the role.
How?
Vito Corleone says of the Hollywood exec, I'm gonna make him an offer he can't refuse.
By the standards of 1972, what follows is violent and gory.
Suffice it to say, the mafia don't scares the Hollywood executive into giving his godson the role.
For decades now, that memorable line, I'll make him an offer he can't refuse,
has helped inform how millions of people think they can get their way in negotiations.
If you want a raise or a business deal or an agreement to end a war, you do it by arm twisting.
If you can make me hurt badly enough, I'll give you what you want.
Today on the show, we explore the science of negotiation.
What researchers have found about the art of crafting a good deal is more nuanced and more uplifting than the lessons of mafia movies.
How to become a better negotiator this week on Hidden Brain.
When we head into a negotiation to buy a new car, to get a refund,