Persuading people to change their mind is exceedingly difficult, but there is a formula that can be followed to make it a bit easier.
Tamar Haspel, a food columnist for the Washington Post, spelled out seven tactics to improve communication between parties who strongly disagree. Haspel, speaking as part of the 2017 Sustainable Agriculture Summit in Kansas City, Missouri, spoke about how people’s minds become made up on controversial issues like climate change or the use of genetically modified organisms (GMOs) in the food chain.
Even though the majority of the science is conclusive, people are still dug in on their side of the issue. Changing how the discussion is approached – and changing the mindset about the other party’s arguments – can help make conversations between opposite sides more productive.
The elephant in the room
The primary thing to understand, Haspel said, is how people form their opinions. She used the metaphor of the elephant and the rider. The rider represents logical thought. The elephant represents impulse and instinct. People like to think the rider is in charge – that they are making decisions and forming value judgements based on rational deduction – but in reality people are more likely to choose based on feelings, emotions and intuitions. The elephant leads the rider.
Furthermore, everyone is susceptible to confirmation bias. This is favoring of facts and sources that back up a preconceived opinion and the rejection of facts that challenge it. Because of this, people actively seek out information sources that confirm their views.
Even though we live in an age of widely available and easily accessible information, people are more polarized than ever due to these two factors. This condition is a tough obstacle to clear but it is possible.
7 steps toward better communication
1. Be convinced
The first step is to acknowledge that everyone makes their decisions the same way – and often illogically - and that being on one side of the issue doesn’t necessarily display immunity to this decision making pattern. After taking this into account, it’s easier to work with people who disagree on a given topic.
2. Reconsider the concept of bias
Everyone carries their own biases. Biases are part of the human condition, Haspel said, not something only “bad” actors have. Acknowledge biases.
3. Find the smartest person who disagrees with you and listen
It’s important to listen to what the opposition is saying. Haspel said that, in her writing process, she always seeks out the most intelligent person who disagrees with her and speaks with them. By listening to the opposition, she learns more.
4. Identify the other side’s strongest arguments
Much of the frustration on both sides of a given issue is because of petty disagreement. Even people on opposite sides of an issue likely share more values and share legitimate concerns about common issues. Try to find and focus on the common ground between opposing parties.
5. Drop “anti-science” from your vocabulary
Never say someone is “anti-science.” Everyone is pro-science, when it supports their position, and anti-science, when it doesn’t back their view. Some people are more scientific or analytical than others, but accusing someone of being anti-science is the same as calling them a “bonehead,” Haspel said, and it won’t further the discussion.
6. Vet your sources
Along with acknowledging and examining biases, it’s necessary to recognize personal sources of information and understand the biases inherent in those sources. Ask: Is my media landscape made up of similar people saying the same thing about a given controversial issue or is it populated by different people with diverse opinions? Does my news come from one source or several?
7. Reach across the aisle
The most important concept is to reach across the aisle. Be in the same room with people who disagree, she said.
“Talk to them. Listen to them. Find out what they do in their spare time. Look past what you believe them to be wrong about to try and understand the values that underlie those positions,” Haspel said. “Because you might find that they’re not so different from your own. And ultimately facts don’t persuade people, but people persuade people.”
