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Want to persuade a friend or family
member to open up to your perspective
on a hot-button issue? A former debate
coach tells you how.
F
amilies – they bring out the best in us and the worst in us.
Which means gatherings for the holidays, anniversaries and
other big events can sometimes be the scene for major
arguments, ranging from the light (which is better: Game of Thrones
or The Sopranos?) to the loaded (the most recent election).
For many of us, these discussions are our cue to excuse ourselves and
see if help is needed in the kitchen. But we have much to gain by
staying put, according to Julia Dhar, a behavioral economist and
principal at the Boston Consulting Group. She says, “Rather than
thinking about the holidays and other occasions as the fraught time
when issues come to a head, think of them as a great time to have
human conversations about the things that we care about a lot.”
Here are her strategies for turning arguments — no matter the topic
— into mutually enriching experiences.
But after years as a debater and then as a debate coach, she realized,
“Proving someone wrong is not a strategy; that’s just you talking at
them.” Instead, she has learned the secret of “persuaders who are at
the top of their game”: They find common ground with their
opponents.
As Dhar explains, “There’s very good evidence that shows when you
confront people with a ton of information or facts that contradict
their worldview, it actually causes them to hold their existing beliefs
more strongly.” Instead, she suggests you establish what she calls a
“shared reality” for you and the other person.
Stay away from absolute statements like “Liberals only care about X”
or “People in the military just want X to happen,” says Dhar. “This
takes a little heat out of the conversation. Now it’s a contest of ideas,
not an attack on the other person’s identity.”
Openness is a subtle trait to show, of course. But Dhar says you can
signal it in many ways — through your tone of voice and emotional
warmth and by asking questions respectfully and engaging with the
other person’s answers. What’s more, this process can also soften you
up. “The suspicions you hold about people who espouse beliefs you
don’t have can start to evaporate,” she adds, “because you can
imagine yourself stepping into those shoes.”
So if you know there are certain hot-button topics that will most
likely arise, you can do research beforehand (make sure your sources
are sound and nonpartisan). But remember: A little goes a long way,
as anyone who’s watched politicians reel off a mind-numbing litany
of numbers at a debate can tell you.
Are you ready for Round 2? As Dhar puts it, “The magic of debate as a
contest of ideas is there’s always a new debate around the corner.” So
if you’re game, she suggests saying, “If you’re open to it, I’m curious
what you think about topic X.” Try to choose a less contentious
subject but one which you’re genuinely interested to hear another
perspective. And if not, there’s always the kitchen.