3 Ways You Won’t Persuade a Trump Voter (And 3 Ways You Might)
The science behind why your attempts at persuasion fail — and what to do instead.
To change hearts and minds, stop making these common mistakes and start doing what works.
All over America, Democrats are working hard to elect Biden and an important part of that effort is persuading people that voting for Trump is a mistake.
While persuasion is a critical component of any winning strategy, our methods often make things worse, putting us on a war-like footing with the Trump supporters in our lives. We are so terrified about where the nation is headed that our first instincts are to close up, push back, and strike out at our friends, family, and neighbors rather than reach forward and pull them closer in a way that can actually change hearts and minds.
In the heat of the moment, Biden supporters tend to wield Three Big Weapons to persuade people who disagree with us:
1. Debate — hit ’em with arguments and facts
2. Shame — if that doesn’t work, try call outs, bad names, and colorful, descriptive epithets
