3 ms·
I forgot where I read it, maybe on the Southern Poverty Law Center's site, but I could be wrong, but they were talking about a similar thing -- how to convince
by rdtsc 9y ago
I forgot where I read it, maybe on the Southern Poverty Law Center's site, but I could be wrong, but they were talking about a similar thing -- how to convince people to change their mind. The example was about how to change people's opinion in regard to transgender people. The idea was similar -- beating them on the head with 140-character sarcastic blurbs, showing stats and facts, insulting etc, just doesn't work. What works is to talk to them face to face and to present a case of one particular individual, not a hypothetical one but one whose name is John or Jane and how they are struggling and how they face hate and discrimination and how it makes them feel.
- whatshisface 9y agoI'm still waiting for a TV commercial to tell me the story of a kid whose parents lost their jobs due to emissions restrictions. Anectodes work perfectly - it's terrifying, because they work in any direction equally well.
- dsfyu404ed 9y agoNumbers, statistics and well reasoned argument can certainly mold someone's opinion on a subject if it's not one they're passionate about one way or the other. Most of the pro-gun liberals I know said they didn't have a strong opinion on the subject and they found the pro-gun numbers and stats less filled with dishonest trickery than the anti-gun numbers and stats. With most issues most people don't care much. These are the people who you can convince to have a baseline opinion that is (for example) against the CIA shipping people off to be tortured with carefully reasoned argument. It's like how most people believe man-made climate change is a thing to some extent. They don't care strongly but a couple decades of numbers and facts have influenced the baseline opinion of those people.
- matt4077 9y agoThis is very similar to a famous study. Where door-to-door canvassing was shown to be very powerful to change people‘s mind. I believe it was California’s prop 8. Unfortunately, that study turned out to be completely falsified. But, in anotothef twist, the underlying hypothesis may indeed appear to have some merit—there are a few studies now underway. (Sorry for not including links—on mobile right nowk
- EvanAnderson 9y agoThis American Life had a good episode about the study you're talking about being discredited: https://www.thisamericanlife.org/584/for-your-reconsideration https://www.thisamericanlife.org/584/for-your-reconsideratio... There is also a transcript available, too: https://www.thisamericanlife.org/584/transcript https://www.thisamericanlife.org/584/transcript