Chasing Tricks or Building Truths?

Why tactic-chasers stall out — and how to switch to principle-first thinking.

By JONATHAN JAMES

Opening Scene

Your swipe file is overflowing.
Your tactic stack’s taller than your stack of bills.

And nothing’s clicking consistently.

You copy what worked in that ad, or that funnel, or that thread — and it tanks for you.

Why?

Because tactics are perishable.
Principles aren’t.

If you don’t know the difference, you’re just reciting spells.
Not casting them.

Tactics vs. Principles: The Core Distinction

Tactics are what you see.
Principles are what you sense.

Master tactics, and you stay current.
Master principles, and you stay dangerous.

Across 4 Professions: How This Plays Out

1. The Copywriter

Tactics:
PAS. Power words. Emo headlines. A/B testing.

Principles:

• People buy identity upgrades, not features.
• Every word either earns trust or costs it.
• Attention isn’t grabbed — it’s exchanged.

Translation:
Instead of tweaking subject lines, ask:
What transformation am I offering?
That rewrites everything.

2. The Persuader (Sales, Influence, Growth)

Tactics:
Scarcity framing. Mirroring. Anchors. The “yes ladder.”

Principles:

• Certainty + warmth = trust.
• We act to stay consistent with our identity.
• People resist being sold but crave being seen.

Are your Spidey senses tingling?
Good — that’s your edge calling.

3. The Therapist

Tactics:
CBT tools. Reframes. Mindfulness apps. Gratitude journals.

Principles:

• Emotional safety precedes behavioral change.
• Insight alone doesn’t move behavior — integration does.
• Healing happens in relationship, not in worksheets.

Translation:
Swap “what tool can I use?” for:
What does this person need to feel safe, seen, and supported right now?

4. The Lawyer

Tactics:
Objection traps. Rhetorical tricks. Precedent bombs.

Principles:

• Framing trumps fact.
• A credible story beats a complicated truth.
• Law is narrative filtered through bias.

Translation:
A principle-driven lawyer doesn’t just build a case.
They rewrite the worldview in which the case lives.

Are You Chasing or Making?

Ask yourself:

• Do I reach for tools first… or truths?
• When something flops, do I find a new trick or ask why the old one failed?
• Can I explain why my tactic worked — in terms of human behavior, not “that’s what I saw in a teardown”?

If you’re feeling exposed — good.
That’s your edge calling.

Micro-Challenge: Build Your Own Tactic

Let’s forge a fresh one. Use this recipe:

1. Pick a principle
    (e.g., “People act when identity is at stake”)
2. Name the emotion it taps
    (fear, pride, desire, status, safety)
3. Design a new tactic that leverages it
    (be weird, be sharp, be you)
4. Run it. Watch what breaks. Then refine.

Post yours with #vibecopy

Hal’s Rule #19

If you can’t explain why it works,
you’re not working — you’re gambling.

Ali’s Notes

“I started spotting copy that looked clever but had no weight behind it.
Like a hook with no beat underneath — like food with no seasoning. 🧂”

Bonus Prompt: Turn a Tactic into a Principle

Use this format to train your brain (or your AI):

Input format:
“I’m going to give you a tactic. Your job is to reverse-engineer it by identifying the deeper principle it relies on. Then explain the emotion it triggers, the reason it works, and suggest 2–3 new tactics that also use that principle.”

Here’s the format I want you to use:

1. Tactic:
    [Insert the tactic here]
2. Principle:
    [What deeper truth does this rely on? Think psychological, emotional, behavioral.]
3. Emotion Triggered:
    [What emotion or internal tension does this tactic tap into? Fear, status, safety, curiosity, etc.]
4. Why It Works:
    [A short explanation of how this tactic connects to the principle and the brain.]
5. Other Tactics That Use This Principle:

• [Tactic 1]
• [Tactic 2]
• [Tactic 3]

Example Prompt Usage

Tactic:
Use a countdown timer in your email campaign.

AI Output:

1. Tactic:
   Use a countdown timer in your email campaign.
2. Principle:
   Urgency increases perceived value and pushes action by narrowing decision windows.
3. Emotion Triggered:
   Anxiety + FOMO (Fear of Missing Out)
4. Why It Works:
   Scarcity and time pressure reduce overthinking and create a sense of immediate importance, leading to quicker decisions.
5. Other Tactics That Use This Principle:

• Add “Only 3 Left” tags on product listings
• Use disappearing Instagram Stories to announce offers
• Send calendar invites with expiration dates baked into the title (“Offer Ends Tomorrow”)

Join the Conversation

If this hit a nerve — that’s not pain.
That’s alignment.

Drop your thoughts in the comments.
What principles are you building from?
What tactics are you questioning?

Or better:
Take a tactic you’ve used, and run the prompt.
Share your principle and how you’d remix it.
We’re watching the tag: #vibecopy