There probably isn’t one true theory of everything.
The most effective way to change someone’s mind and introduce new ideas is by talking to them.
Art is just as important as science in examining how our existence works.
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One of the most important tools you have when trying to corral hearts and minds is your ground game, at least here in the US. Look at Donald Trump and the Iowa caucuses, he may have had the name recognition and crowds at his rallies but when it came to getting humans to the polls to vote for him, he fell short. Now Trump’s trying to spin this into someone else stiffing him out of a victory polls said was certain, but really there’s another lesson here. If you want people to care about something you care about enough to show up, you have to go talk them in person. When you’re winning converts, impersonal messaging only gets you so far. Ads, TV, viral campaigns, slacktivism, and all the rest may get you name recognition but it doesn’t get people to show up the way that looking them in the eye and listening to them speak does.
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The law is the lowest common denominator everyone can live with, not a moral prescription. You can’t change things from the top down without some movement from the ground up.
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If you want to change someone’s mind you need to be able to meet them where they are. You need to speak to them in their own language, within their own mental models.
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When you’re trying to change someone’s mind about a complicated issue, don’t underestimate the value of a single story.
Nicholas Kristof: Want to Make a Difference? Tell a Compelling Story.
Great comparison of Trump and Iowa to the notion of a “ground game”. A really good insight and analysis as a microcosm of pretty much everything related to behavior modification. The Kristof piece is spot on too – narrative is central to the presentation/acceptance of almost any kind of information. It’s reporting 101 = lead (and conclude) with the personal anecdote and jam the facts in the middle.
terrific work.