Buzz
If you're determined to convince someone they're wrong in an argument, BBC Future recommends one of the most effective tactics: ask them to clarify how their proposed solution would work in practice.
Even with only a surface-level understanding of a topic, we often form firm opinions. This mental shortcut leads us to confidently hold views without fully grasping how or why they'd function. To disrupt someone's argument, it’s powerful to ask them to explain how their idea actually works:
In a survey conducted with a sample of Americans online, participants were asked about controversial US policy issues, like sanctions on Iran, healthcare, and carbon emissions. One group was instructed to share their opinions and justify their stance, allowing them to make their case just like in any argument or debate.
The second group, however, was asked to do something slightly different. Instead of simply explaining their reasons, they were tasked with detailing how their proposed policy would function. They had to outline, step-by-step, the causal sequence from the policy to its anticipated outcomes.
The findings were decisive. Participants who offered reasons for their views were just as firm in their beliefs as they were before the experiment. However, those asked to explain how their ideas would work became more open-minded, with many expressing a notable decrease in how confident they felt about the issues. For example, individuals who had strongly supported or opposed carbon emissions trading became more moderate, rating themselves as less sure of their stance on the policy.
This is a common psychological pattern. If you're trying to persuade someone that your viewpoint is correct, ask them to describe exactly how their solution would function. As we’ve mentioned before, the Socratic method is an excellent way to begin this line of questioning. Just make sure you're ready to explain your own position in the same way.
Photo by Guian Bolisay.
