Persuasion is not about coercion, winning debates, or imposing views, but about leading others to understand their own thinking and align it with the message. It focuses on a person's motivations and encourages them to realize change is possible, because all persuasion is self-persuasion. Belief is a process influenced by emotions and certainty, which affects the strength of our convictions. Persuasion is a force that can influence certainty, and critical death is seen as greater than physical death.