jis
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A very nice article discussing how presenting unadorned facts in an attempt to disabuse someone who is already invested in a specific position contradicted by the facts being presented, is not the best way to change anyone's mind about anything. The method that works is quite surprising and also requires an order of magnitude more investment than merely repeating the facts like a parrot to everyone. We advocates here might gain more success if we heed the message buried in the article below, than merely repeating the history of how passenger rail came to be not liked in the US....
http://timharford.com/2017/03/the-problem-with-facts/
Hopefully this will not lead to an off topic frenzy by folks who are invested in such frenzies, and if such happens, Mods please feel free to kill this thread.
I found the fine distinction of "educated in science" and "curious about science" to be quite fascinating, and the resulting difference in behavior regarding handling of facts quite a revelation. Thinking back about it I can see that this is a key determinant in how people handle facts in my experience too, but I had never made the connection.
Anyway, hope at least some of you get something out of this article that is useful in your advocacy work.
http://timharford.com/2017/03/the-problem-with-facts/
Hopefully this will not lead to an off topic frenzy by folks who are invested in such frenzies, and if such happens, Mods please feel free to kill this thread.
I found the fine distinction of "educated in science" and "curious about science" to be quite fascinating, and the resulting difference in behavior regarding handling of facts quite a revelation. Thinking back about it I can see that this is a key determinant in how people handle facts in my experience too, but I had never made the connection.
Anyway, hope at least some of you get something out of this article that is useful in your advocacy work.
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