Think Again

part of the home-court advantage stems from the energy of a packed house
of cheering fans. It had no effect whatsoever: attendance in that group was
76 percent.
What did move the needle was an email with a different approach. We
simply asked fans one question: are you planning to attend? Attendance
climbed to 85 percent. The question gave fans the freedom to make their
own case for going.

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Psychologists have long found that the person most likely to persuade
you to change your mind is you. You get to pick the reasons you find most
compelling, and you come away with a real sense of ownership over them.
That’s where Harish’s final edge came in. In every round he posed
more questions to contemplate. The computer spoke in declarative
sentences, asking just a single question in the opening statement—and
directing it at Harish, rather than at the audience. In his opening, Harish
asked six different questions for the audience to ponder. Within the first
minute, he asserted that just because preschools are good doesn’t mean that
they should be funded by the government, and then inquired, “Why is that
the case?” He went on to ask whether preschools were underprovided,
whether they did help the most disadvantaged—and then why they didn’t,
why they were so costly, and who they actually helped instead.
Taken together, these techniques increase the odds that during a
disagreement, other people will abandon an overconfidence cycle and
engage in a rethinking cycle. When we point out that there are areas where
we agree and acknowledge that they have some valid points, we model
confident humility and encourage them to follow suit. When we support our
argument with a small number of cohesive, compelling reasons, we
encourage them to start doubting their own opinion. And when we ask
genuine questions, we leave them intrigued to learn more. We don’t have to
convince them that we’re right—we just need to open their minds to the
possibility that they might be wrong. Their natural curiosity might do the
rest.
That said, these steps aren’t always enough. No matter how nicely we
ask, other people don’t always want to dance. Sometimes they’re so
attached to their beliefs that the mere suggestion of getting in sync feels like
an ambush. What do we do then?