People like being in the driver’s seat and having more choices. Whenever we ask someone to do something, we’re impinging on that ability to choose. Rather than feeling like they’re making their own choice, now they’re worried that we’re influencing their choice. Because of that, they lose interest in making that choice, even if it was something they might have wanted to do already.

Think about buying a car. Maybe you were already interested in buying an electric vehicle. But if you feel like the reason you’re interested is that someone’s trying to sell you on one, then you worry that maybe the decision isn’t driven by you but rather by the salesperson. You’re going to react against that feeling, push back, and be less likely to buy the electric vehicle. In a sense, people have an anti-persuasion radar.