All Annotations of Eight ways to get exactly what you want - being-human - 07 May 2008 - New Scientist[Preview]

saved by6 people, first byTony Gallardo on 2008-05-27, last byRichard Wang on 2008-06-24

• get exactly what you want
• Eight ways to get exactly what you want
• These findings fit with a broad body of research suggesting that negative information frequently has a more powerful influence than positive messages. So if you want to sway someone when they choose between two options, a good tactic is to be negative about the option you don't want them to pick.
• asking people to "think of all the reasons why this is a good idea" is likely to backfire, and may serve to harden their views.
• f you want to be persuasive, don't stumble, pause or use language that shows hesitation.
• fear doesn't always work, says Turner, and over time, people become more resistant to scare tactics. The same applies to guilt.
• Anger is different. For one thing, it's focused on someone else's misdeeds, not your own. Also, it's a very utilitarian emotion, she says, usually in response to a perceived injustice. "Anger makes people feel empowered,"
• People who successfully resist persuasion often become even more entrenched in their wrong-headed opinions, and the stronger, more credible or authoritative they perceive the attempt at persuasion to be, the more certain of their opinions they become when they resist it
• "Present positions closer to your target's views, then move them towards your goal a little at a time."