Ep. 323: The Psychology of Arguing on the Internet: Can you ACTUALLY change someone’s mind?

JonRobert Tartaglione, PhD, studies & teaches influence. He is a psychologist, behavioral scientist & the founder & CEO of a consulting practice called influence 51.

In this episode, we unpack persuasion, perception & arguing on the internet and explore what it really takes to change someone’s mind.

If you like this episode, you’ll also like episode 309: HOW DID THE MEDIA BECOME SUCH A BIASED, STRESS-INDUCING CIRCUS?

Guest:

https://www.facebook.com/jonrobert.tartaglione 

https://www.instagram.com/probablytat/ 

https://www.linkedin.com/in/jonrobert-tartaglione-ph-d-21b26770/

https://x.com/PolPsyTat 

https://influence51.com/ 

Host:  

https://www.meredithforreal.com/  

https://www.instagram.com/meredithforreal/ 

meredith@meredithforreal.com

https://www.youtube.com/meredithforreal 

 https://www.facebook.com/meredithforrealthecuriousintrovert 

Sponsors: 

https://www.jordanharbinger.com/starterpacks/ 

https://www.historicpensacola.org/about-us/ 

00:00 — The question no one asks

01:42 — Why this story matters now

03:18 — Meeting JonRobert

05:06 — What most people misunderstand

07:02 — The moment everything shifted

09:21 — How power actually works

11:08 — Systems hiding in plain sight

13:47 — When incentives shape behavior

16:05 — Following the money

18:12 — What surprised him most

20:44 — The quiet pressure points

23:01 — Where people lose agency

25:26 — The illusion of choice

27:58 — Why good people comply

30:14 — This wasn’t accidental

32:41 — How narratives get enforced

35:09 — Who benefits from silence

37:42 — The cost of speaking up

40:06 — When resistance becomes personal

42:33 — The moment of reckoning

45:02 — Why fear is effective

47:29 — The psychology underneath

50:11 — How normalization happens

52:46 — What history keeps repeating

55:21 — The warning signs we ignore

58:04 — This pattern feels familiar

01:00:33 — When people finally notice

01:03:07 — Why it feels overwhelming

01:05:52 — Reclaiming critical thinking

01:08:36 — What accountability would look like

01:11:14 — The role of individual courage

01:14:02 — Why hope isn’t naive

01:16:41 — What comes next

01:19:08 — The question listeners should sit with

01:21:30 — Final reflections

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