Personal beliefs can be challenged with new evidence, leading to mindset shifts.
Deep canvassing involves empathetic conversations to facilitate perspective changes effectively.
Deep dives
Saldo: Expanding Palates with Unconventional Wine
Saldo, a wine brand, seeks to broaden horizons by offering unique wine experiences, including a flagship Zinfandel that revived interest in the overlooked varietal. They select grapes from premier California vineyards for their wines, staying away from typical offerings to bring innovative choices to consumers.
Charlie Veitch: A Truth Seeker's Journey on 9-11 Conspiracies
Charlie Veitch, a notable YouTuber, shifted his stance on the 9-11 conspiracy theory after being part of a BBC show that presented evidence contradicting his beliefs. Despite facing backlash from fellow conspiracy theorists and enduring threats, Veitch chose to accept the new information and renounce his previous views.
Deep Canvassing: A Persuasion Method for Changing Minds
Deep canvassing, a technique developed by Day Fleischer, involves empathetic listening and guided self-reflection to facilitate mindset changes. By engaging individuals in non-judgmental conversations and encouraging introspection, deep canvassing has proven effective in shifting perspectives on various issues by creating a safe exploratory space.
Understanding Minds: Bias, Persuasion, and Human Tendencies
David McRaney delves into the complexities of mind-changing processes, acknowledging personal biases and the role of persuasion in influencing beliefs. While sharing stories of individuals breaking away from extremist groups or altered ideologies, he emphasizes the importance of recognizing one's biases and intentions when engaging in conversations aimed at challenging viewpoints.
Charlie Veitch was certain that 9/11 was an inside job. The attack on the World Trade Center wasn't the work of Al-Qaeda, but an elaborate conspiracy. He became a darling of so-called "9/11 truthers" - until he actually visited Ground Zero to meet architects, engineers and the relatives of the dead. The trip changed his mind... there was no conspiracy.
His fellow "truthers" did not take Charlie's conversion well.
David McRaney (host of You Are Not So Smart and author of How Minds Change: The Surprising Science of Belief, Opinion and Persuasion) joins Tim Harford to discuss what happened to Charlie Veitch; what it tells us about those who hold strong beliefs even in the face of damning contrary evidence; and why persuasion isn't always the right answer.