Why You Suck At Influencing Republicans
You think you’re in a courtroom
One of the biggest problems I see in political dialogue is that often our intuitions about how to influence the views of others are very poor.
Decades of courtroom drama (and The West Wing) have many of us thinking — wrongly — the best way to change someone’s mind is to present an argument as if we’re speaking to an impartial judge or jury. That just the right combination of facts, reason, and impressive rhetoric will lead others to a glorious “ah-ha!” moment of realization and agreement with our brilliant points.
But the people we disagree with aren’t impartial — they’re biased (as are we).
If we stick with the courtroom analogy, getting someone to change their mind in a political conversation is more like persuading a defendant they’re guilty when they’re convinced they didn’t do anything wrong. It’s really hard to do that just using facts and reason.
A much more effective approach starts with winning their trust, and that’s done by connecting with them on an emotional and empathetic level. Once they feel safe with you and believe you’re like them and care about their well-being, they’ll WANT to agree with you and will be more open to your perspective.
I teach Democrats how to be more persuasive when talking with people outside our tribe. Want help? Sign-up here.
