But you don't need academic semantics to know that trying to get somebody to see things your way is tough if they go into the argument with another point of view. It creates solidarity in the group, which increases the chances that our group's views will prevail in society (e.g. Self-affirmation conditioning studies find that if, before you start to try to change somebody's mind, you first ask them to remember something that gave them a positive view of themselves, they're more likely to be open to facts and to change their opinions. The self-affirmation research seems to support this. There are a lot of psychological terms for the fact that people don't like to change their minds; "motivated reasoning", "confirmation bias", "cognitive dissonance". You have an opinion, which you like to think of as a fact. You argue the facts, as thoughtfully and non-confrontationally as you can, but the facts don't seem to get you anywhere. For example, you find out that your favorite smoothie has more calories than three cans of your favorite soft drink. Get the help you need from a therapist near you–a FREE service from Psychology Today. Your brain reads that data as if the entire tribe were under attack. Small wonder then that we fight so hard to keep those walls strong and tall. In New York City, for example, you’re expected to stand up for yourself and speak your mind—that’s how things get done. Tumblr. Then along come to pro spin people including AAP and CDC. Posted Nov 07, 2017 But are there exceptions? Why it can be difficult to change one's mind... when difference in opinion is deadly for both groups, The Deep Fear That Trumps All Others, Including COVID-19, Dangerous Damage to Trust from the Politicization of COVID, How Self-Affirmations Could Help Improve Hygiene. It is therefore consistent to continue defending it. A new theory aims to make sense of it all. It ought to be easy to change a mind. It can be done, and we’ll cover that in a future blog. You're probably already aware that it's hard to change someone's mind with logical arguments and evidence, especially about emotionally charged topics. This is why the brain reads ostracization, or social rejection, as physical pain. Challenging traditions, religions, or leaders has always carried with it an enormous risk of ostracization. Alice Kitchel Insights January 7, 2019. Instead of, “My heuristics are not applicable in this environment,” your brain will tell you, “Costa Rica has terrible service.” If you decide to never go back to Costa Rica, you’ll never have to change your mind. So be patient. Understand why people don't change their minds. Only later, when things are calm, are most people comfortable confronting their cognitive dissonance. The other group was just shown the violence statistics, with no self-affirmation. Your brain wants to protect you from changing your mind, and has dozens of different strategies for doing so. Mind control is also known as manipulation, thought reform, brainwashing, mental control, coercive persuasion, coercive control, malignant use of group dynamics, and many others. Cognitive biases often get in the way of assessing new beliefs. Myths and misperceptions surrounding veganism make changing someone’s mind about eating meat tougher than a well-done steak. This is Why You Can’t Change Someone’s Mind With Facts. Instead of focusing on an overwhelming canon of information, find stories from real people who are exploring healthy lifestyles and who share your tastes (and maybe fears of green juices), and struggle—just like you—with finding healthy meal replacements that actually taste delicious, too. Every time I listen to the news there is reference to how polarized our country has become. Upending one of … And those are just the beginning. An entrenched idea is hard to change but not impossible. Denise Cummins, a cognitive scientist with a PhD, told me that there are certain types of opinions that are very hard to change, and with good reason–they’re central to our identities and the way we morally order the world. It’s based on available knowledge. And it takes no great leap in logic to see how any perceived in-group/out-group friction would serve to put one on guard - people are very choosy when it comes to accepting criticism. Probably not. So the next time you want to have a truly open-minded conversation on a contentious topic with someone who disagrees with you, don't launch right into the facts. (part 1 of 3) Posted by timothygoodwin May 14, 2020 June 16, 2020 Posted in Educator Tags: Capra, cognition, Education, Learning, learning theory, Luisi, systems, Systems theory, Systems view of life, teaching, theory. If you are considering two contradictory ideas, you may feel physical discomfort, anxiety, and other unpleasant symptoms of your fair-minded attempt to consider other points of view. Remember, your brain is hiding plenty of truths from you, too. How to find compromise among people, how to prevent making people enemies and stand together? Of course, convincing someone to look for flaws in their own case may not be so easy. In the real world, new information doesn’t change many minds. Opening your mind is necessary to explore opinions. Pinterest. Lot's of brain wash is done by our government on a huge scale: subliminal messages, emotional pictures of coughing babies, variety of laid back moms conversation that show their thoughtfulness. The group that had not done the self-affirmation remained adamant that the troops should stay. In a city of several million, you’ll be able to find another tribe—eventually. In psychology jargon, it’s called heuristics, the mental shortcuts your brain creates to save you time and energy as you go about your day. all kinds of questions that I would love to learn here. The tribe wants loyalty, predictability, and consistency. For example, you may need to let go of your belief that facts can actually change people’s minds if you want to get anywhere when you’re having a dialogue with them. Even when those folks were absolutely correct, they were often the ones voted off the island. And no matter where you live, your brain evolved to work with relatively small groups of 150 people or less. Your brain will do almost anything to avoid it. (But consider the historical resistance to new technologies and techniques, such as washing your hands before surgery.). Well, that's hopeful but naïve, and ignores a vast amount of social science evidence that has shown that facts, by themselves, are meaningless. In the meantime, there’s plenty of advice backed up with scientific evidence available online. (part 3 of 3) Posted by timothygoodwin May 17, 2020 Posted in Edumusings Tags: brain research, Constructivism, elephant and rider, empathy, haidt, Learning, teaching. When presented with new information, the brain immediately ramps up its defenses and gets ready to argue. As you suggest, I suspect a (the?) Why is it so hard to convince others to change their minds? We Have Neanderthals to Thank for These Genetic Traits, Why the Internet Broke for Bernie Sanders' Mittens, When White Privilege Becomes White Silence, Psychology Today © 2021 Sussex Publishers, LLC, An Attitude of Gratitude: Why Saying "I Am Grateful" Matters, AI Gains Social Intelligence; Infers Goals and Failed Plans, How Visualizing "Hoped-for Future Selves" May Affect Destiny. This more subtle approach is more likely to actually change the person’s mind." This subject is utterly fascinating, so I'd love to see more on this from you. “We didn’t set out to understand partisan stubbornness per se,” Kaplan said. our party is in power). This Is How To Change Someone’s Mind: 6 Secrets From Research *** Before we commence with the festivities, I wanted to thank everyone for helping my first book become a Wall Street Journal bestseller.To check it out, click here.. If you're plant-based yourself, you can probably think about one or two loved ones who you would love to see give up meat for their health. A lot. An Atheist Neuroscientist Finds Faith in Bipolar Mania, 10 Tips for Turning Procrastination into Precrastination, Why Some People Don’t Seek Mental Health Services. Why is it so Hard to Change Someone’s Mind? Don’t be confrontational, even with yourself. Why is it harder to change your mind and behavior in the short-term? For example, there’s cognitive dissonance . Why do arguments change people’s minds in some cases and backfire in others? Humans are social animals. Why the heck is it so hard to admit we’re wrong? In Costa Rica, this is seen as rude, and makes people defensive and irritable. A paper by Babcock and Loewenstein (1997) shows that the best way to "de-bias" someone, to break down someone's wall as you put it, is to have that person work to find flaws in their own case. Shares . ! You’re less likely to change your mind if you have a low sense of self-worth. This is the third in a series of three. Myths and misperceptions surrounding veganism make changing someone’s mind about eating meat tougher than a well-done steak. It’s an existential threat, and one that causes profound suffering. Outstanding post. Instead of pushing them hard, share with them what prompted you to make the switch. 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