The Art and Science of Changing Our Own and Other People’s Minds.

The most important piece of advise the author offers is that to change minds, spend less time trying to convince individuals of a new perspective, and more time trying to understand and thereby neutralize the resistances.Like everything else in life, the 80/20 rule applies to changing minds.   20% of inputs result in 80% of outputs.  The same applies to causes and consequences, and effort and results.Human beings think in concepts.  Presenting multiple versions of the same concept can be an extremely powerful way to change someone’s mind.  One concept, many expressions.  That’s the way to go.Changing minds need to focus on ideas, concepts, stories or theories.

People have different types of intelligences.  The more of an individuals intelligences you can appeal to when making an argument, the more likely you are to change a person’s mind, and the more minds you’re likely to change.

In general, because of the way we learn, once we get an idea in our head it’s hard to change.  The more emotional one’s commitment to a cause or belief, the more difficult to change.

It’s easier to change minds when individuals find themselves in a new environment surrounded by peers of a different persuasion, or when individuals undergo shattering experiences  or encounter luminous personalities.