Niro Sivanathan: The counterintuitive way to be more persuasive | TED

[@twelvecatsinatrenchcoat]

If you've ever been in an argument on the internet you've seen this. If you start with one fantastic counterpoint and include a few weaker counterpoints -- whoever you're talking to will find the weakest one and attack it. They won't even remember the strong one.

[@warrenbradford2597]

I have been into arguments and I have just seen this.

[@furusaogoge]

Oh yeah? People remember! What makes you an expert on memory? 🤣🤣🤣🤣 I'm sorry. I'm a Dad and I couldn't resist. Seriously, that's a great point. I wonder if it's related to people's tendency to strawman and/or to use red herrings.

[@TCraats]

Going to sleep is important. But so is waking up. Excellent delivery

[@luciandurietz4148]

in just 4 words: "sometimes less is more"

[@asbestosrecuperation]

3 words: less is more

[@luciandurietz4148]

@@asbestosrecuperation not always

[@scottdake8566]

Less is more IF the more is of a lower quality than what you already have....

[@LiborSupcik]

@@scottdake8566 which is always since the quality is in the ear of beholders

[@61uesat]

I am a Japanese. I'm not good at listening, so this video was very educational. It's very easy to hear. And the material is very beautiful and the way of speaking is cool. I will come here again

[@fearhead1556]

How is the new PM there? And what about the slowing economy and population decline? Help me with your views on these issues.

[@ahmadsaba9795]

¹

[@MrSidney9]

Wow, very eye-opening. And delivered persuasively too. The presentation lives up to the message

[@KnowArt]

This guy has some magnificent eyebrows

[@shalvivikramchauhan9184]

Reminds me of red from angry birds 😂

[@thisisfaiaz]

The main listen of the video is "You cannot increase the quality of an argument by simply increasing the quantity of your argument" and "stick to your string arguments because your arguments don't add up in the minds of the receiver they average out."

[@carmz620]

It also points out how to expose someone is trying to influence your assessment of a situation on purpose by order of information.

[@thisisfaiaz]

@@carmz620 Yeah!

[@whysosad2973]

@@carmz620 i am sorry i didn't get what you said. can you like give an example to make it more clear?

[@carmz620]

@@whysosad2973 You can spot, if someone is trying to influence your opinion when this person is obviosly using the "rules" of the video. For example: if someone wants to encourage you to buy a stock and he says "Yes, I have too admit, it's not super safe and some people say, it's too easy and not honourable to make money this way."

[@GuillaumeRenart]

This is the "broken dishes" experiment related by Daniel Kahneman in "thinking fast and slow". See part 2 chapter 15. Really eye opening.

[@lucasashton6706]

Ripped right from the pages of the book even.

[@Insomniac402]

Ohhh!!! That's why it looked so familiar

[@reedofwater]

This guy has never been overwhelmed by my daughter's barrage of reasons for ice cream.

[@c.s.hayden3022]

They don’t add up, they average out. Interesting. It makes sense.

[@nikhilvankar1609]

Hey didn’t followed his final message could you explain ?

[@sandeepmandrawadkar9133]

@@nikhilvankar1609 Best part of the above presentation is that the quantity of arguments will reduce the quality of the argument. Hence avoid unnecessary explanation and stick to only what matters.

[@achieving.excellence]

Agreed Christopher... makes sense.

[@Ajay-ei2jo]

Indians are literally Amazing ✨

[@snaresnarerson5296]

Today is the 21st day of the 21st year of the 21st century and it will soon be 21.21pm in england. Thanks for your time.

[@elizabethsetlow862]

Neat.

[@albyshinyfield8841]

This really spoke to me

[@fep_ptcp883]

Next major mark will be in january 22nd, 2122, 22h22 (in England)

[@henrycollins2478]

Jeez. That’s a lot for some plates and bowls.

[@SG-gb5mx]

HAHAHAHHAHAHA i was thinking the exact same thing.

[@shereadsshescries1457]

Keep it short, and on point.

[@warrenbradford2597]

I will re-watch the video to memorize key points made in it. I want to improve my persuasive skills more.

[@jonathanwilgus5021]

Here I was thinking TED was on it's way down, then they come out with this. Well done.

[@TheHagaymuzan]

Not all minds behave this way, some people know how to separate different information and react only to the important things. Personal experience.

[@alphazulo2966]

Yes... This is the first comment.... May be general populas is too dumb to understand what is being delivered to them or.... Or they are too genius and understand that they only havr to look at things superficially so that the words of others don't penetrate their hearts.

[@dryzalizer]

Thanks for mentioning this, I didn't react any differently to choices in the scenarios he gave like the subjects did.

[@MattThomas43]

Agree. I think this is based on the behaviour of non-experts. Run the dishes experiment with actual interested collectors and you'll get a different result. This kind of faulty critical thinking makes sense when the thinker has a hard time understanding the issues.

[@gndp]

True, However, I think that this would be the case when the stakes are high. When taking casual decisions, people rarely use their cognitive muscles, they let their subconscious take the decision.

[@marvhellampa3265]

I got this just on random, i'm glad i cliked it in. tnx

[@homewall744]

You certainly see it all arguments, where the other party focuses only on the weak arguments, ignores the strong ones, and may even add an ad hominem.

[@twelvecatsinatrenchcoat]

Very true. Including more than one point in an internet argument is basically giving the other person a menu. "Oh, number 6 looks pretty easy to undermine."

[@corcoranmagriproperties]

Very interesting experiment and smart considerations! 👍

[@xx99Username99xx]

I wonder how the passage of time plays into this Dilution Effect. Can you get more mileage out of multiple arguments by spacing out your delivery of those arguments? And if so, how much time is necessary? Do you need to give your audience a few weeks to mull over your previous argument before delivering a new argument, or can you just pause dramatically between each one?

[@DatingForRealYoutubeChannel]

Sounds like a research idea. ;-)

[@Nyngarra]

Very interesting talk! I would be interested if juggling around the sequence of the side effects of the drug is enough to change the attitude towards it. Like, this drug might cause cold feet, ...and heart attack PERIOD. Instead of having the minor effects at the end.

[@oscaranacletokrause2238]

I dont think so because the side effects are still there. No minor side effects to distract their attention.

[@romaungabdulmonaf8306]

Amazing story all of us

[@sandeepmandrawadkar9133]

Great presentation 👏👌👍 Narrated in quite a simple yet effective way 👌

[@liamross7]

At first I thought the talk was gonna be how to persuade someone to give you the last set of plates you wanted at the store.

[@mando8222]

BEST PART OF VIDEO IS @ 9:40

[@TrueCrimeQueen]

Love the channel! Stay safe everyone!

[@Connor-es5ry]

Finna use this to win among us cheers mate

[@tridevkumar1738]

Super show!!!

[@trainkinder-getinspiredtol6433]

Awesome talk. Less is really more. Thank you for sharing!

[@vas4739]

Fantastic approach! I need to practice that for when I need it!!!

[@narrativegatherer3128]

Legends know that this talk was first published on TEDxLondonBusinessSchool.

[@GnarDawgeh]

Shhhh!

[@1.5Koreans0.5American]

Interesting plates and bowls experiment

[@danielmiraziz1093]

The "Gish gallop" technique often used in debates shows the exact opposite effect.

[@projotce]

That's because it's employed to strengthen the agreement of people who already agree with you, not to convince those who disagree

[@danielmiraziz1093]

@@projotce That's fair. Debates are more about rhetoric than persuasion.

[@yugen8382]

So when i want to persuade someone about something good i tell them less good about it.And when i want to defend something bad i tell them more bad about it...We humans are pretty stupid huh...

[@coltonsnyder1262]

This is really interesting, especially when considered along with game theory.

[@ploopybear]

everything is more interesting with game theory lol

[@Elemenopi205]

That’s a good analysis now I know why I come across as unconvincing to some 😒

[@DrickRT]

That was surprisingly pretty good

[@priyacool2500]

Wonderful insights

[@romaungabdulmonaf8306]

Great good job

[@abhisheksinghal3358]

Quality 10 minutes, if implemented to the t, could result in an enormous gain

[@fevronija]

So helpful! Thank you!

[@JamesSmith-pi5kv]

Message her for any kinds of help

[@JamesSmith-pi5kv]

[phone]

[@JamesSmith-pi5kv]

He once help me

[@MissAtlantique]

Women know that by writing a long text to a man, he will only read one sentence and will stop focusing on the rest :D ....we still do that none the less. Brilliant talk. Always good to remind ourselves about such things

[@acfatemi]

Very interesting!!!!! Explains a lot! Now I understand what I might be doing wrongly in getting my message across..... Very helpful 🤨🧐😏🙁🤔😉😁

[@whysosad2973]

i didn't understand the last part related to pharmaceutical ads. including the minor problems diluted the severity and made it seem it was less harmful? is that what he meant?

[@bobymathew5740]

Yes.

[@jpbernie72]

Nice talk with a good message. However, in the study example, "dilution," made a stronger case for buying the drug. So, the concept is situational. True, but situational.

[@qntonia]

I think the point is getting people to do or adhere to what you want or believe in. Not so much from the perspective of making the "right" choice.

[@LawrenceAugust_]

Correct, because it was diluting the negative qualities of the drug. It diluted the counter argument to buying. What sold the drug is whatever simple message was put forward (ie lowers cholesterol).

[@AutoHunter]

Don't know if someone is reading but if you are 🤗🤝: you are amazing and beautiful! I believe in you!♥b

[@BrutusAlbion]

lame!

[@jamesrad6317]

The opener is one of these Daniel Kahnemann "all people are idiots/irrational" things. xD

[@michaelb1785]

A good lesson.

[@ADOwens-px8xm]

So strong argument > strong argument + weak argument because of dilution effect in the mind.

[@danielwilson996]

this idea was early found by Daniel Kahneman . This book is good for everyone to read

[@ranfromrandomcan]

I have never come this fast

[@오예림-w1b]

이 강연의 핵심은 무엇인지 1시간째 생각 중인 1인;;;

[@TOSStarTrek]

KISS principle

[@elviscoso01]

You misspelled manipulative in the title of the video.

[@hasnainqaiyumi185]

But isn't telling only relevant quantity of information would mean, omission of other relevant information, because omission of complete information is considered wrong in many jurisdictions. In some cases organisations can be penalised

[@bobymathew5740]

This dilution effect is regarding how people usually think, which is not completely rational. For professional analysis, complete information is very essential. There, the professionals would be using better calculations and be more rational.

[@NaveedGhalib]

Magic number is 3 arguments. Always 3

[@felixgugler]

my question is: what kind of students was he talking to?

[@MagnumMotivation]

Five persuasive techniques for you to become successful in life: Establish trust and develop credibility. Understand the reader's purpose and align your own. Pay attention to language. Consider tone. Use rhetoric and repetition. Cheers.

[@tommyteapot13]

I thought about £20 lol

[@brightstories263]

We need THESE PEOPLE, not Kardashians...

[@jasonmillers6941]

Dope

[@jb.899]

Her now

[@syk2973]

This guy

[@GabrielPerez-xo3ui]

I guess this can be used the other way around too? Like if you need to tell bad news about your performance to your boss. You can dillute the bad news with other less relevant bad news?

[@LiborSupcik]

Beautiful but still ...compare the video in its whole to its last minute. The whole is not true to its own medicine. The communication is diluted by too many examples. After a year I think it is clear the public in general did not notice this important but under convincing message.

[@СладостиотМашеньки]

Я ничего не понимаю но я слушаю чтобы понять

[@mmagearworks]

I would pay less for the second dinnerware set because I do not want to take the garbage. I would have to throw away the broken dishes.

[@ineptireplica1548]

Isnt this a repost?

[@logangrimnar3800]

Ok so it it just me or is 300+ a lot for a dinner set. In USD that's like 450

[@InnuendoXP]

yeah that bit was very un-relateable to me. I can imagine a set being priced that much, I couldn't imagine ever buying it though. Seems like a product for the fool & their money demographic.

[@Marz2695]

he said it's a luxury line so It's reasonable in my mind.

[@thecoldglassofwatershow]

They’re Gucci plates 😅

[@LuckyFish3000]

So what is the summary? Please

[@InnuendoXP]

Stick to your strongest argument, and get to the point.

[@3_up_moon]

@@InnuendoXP oh, like this guy didn't do

[@BrutusAlbion]

@@3_up_moon 😂

[@albyshinyfield8841]

@@3_up_moon he actually made the one argument multiple different ways

[@NimbusBeats]

damn I only said 20 -25 $

[@prasanna2589]

I can appreciate the speaker exploring the flaws of what we pay attention to and educating people about it for a change rather than selling out to ad companies or social media but to me it seems without direction.. ok there is this flaw, now what?.. isnt the whole point of researching flaws to fix em by compensating their detrimental effects rather than using them as loopholes?

[@zombeaver69]

knowledge something is wrong is the first step to correcting it

[@kellypeterson3660]

Be honest in other words.

[@AAR0NWE1R]

bro this dude talks so slow, actually had this on 1.5x

[@gndp]

I believe that the faster you listen, the shallower the message goes into your brain. So once in a while, I listen to even the slow speech videos at 1x.

[@jorgipogi]

He didn’t heed to his message by not concluding with the main premise.

[@haoxus9413]

I question this guy's experiment methodology. One time experiment is too unreliable, and I wonder how he framed the questions, 190ero for that?

[@xapa5509]

Please caption kurdish

[@alishacropper88]

Those students must have monayyyy lol

[@lenguyendieulinh5902]

👍

[@BeeReports444]

""" Whoever is reading this, God bless you and your family """ ..

[@lofimore755]

u too

[@yousefhadi1784]

Thank you, but you are a bot.

[@albyshinyfield8841]

@@yousefhadi1784 the poor bot needs surgery tho

[@kirylkrasouski]

Yeah but how about that the major serious side effects are very rare compared to minor side effects?

[@LuciferMorningstar____]

Ctrl+B on those eyebrows

[@stephenkrus]

Dilution Effect... hmm... 🤔

[@charlottescott7150]

People are so weird! I would pay the same for both dinner sets and would have said that if I had to choose who had the bigger GPA I would have guessed Tom as he is more rounded as a person. The drug advert one is just crazy. It helps explain why our democracies are so dreadful. Sound bites are preferred to nuanced arguments.

[@Zerobob26]

I disagree. Broken pieces in a PREMIUM dinner set would mean that the set is no longer complete, and there would likely be empty spaces in its velvet-lined display case, or similar, reducing its aesthetic quality... which is important in a PREMIUM dinner set. It would also suggest that the set has suffered a big impact of some kind, and there may be hidden damage to the other items, such as imperceivable hairline cracks and weaknesses. You'd also have the added inconvenience of disposing of the broken items. I feel this talk attempts to brush over the complexities of purchasing items - and physics - with conveniently simplified strawman examples, whilst also suggesting there is no inherent value in things such as aesthetics, human intuition, and convenience.

[@Theraot]

The talks argues for keeping argument simple, and follows its own advice. I agree that the way people priced the items in the experiment is not unfounded. Which supports that the effect is real, even if not as irrational as portrayed, and that is enough to take advantage of the effect. The talk avoids the topic, and in doing so appeals to a larger audience. (This is my attempt to follow the advice, how did it go?)

[@Zerobob26]

​@@Theraot You did well. As a software developer I have to reduce complicated things to 'layman's terms' constantly for people to understand, a skill I learned was essential years ago. Ultimately, all I'm saying it that the devil is frequently in the detail, and it isn't always a good idea to brush over it.

[@DoughDashWord]

It’s taking him so long to get to the point.

[@ellie698]

Yeah I gave up listening. Very boring speaker

[@Superstardark]

Indian tim meadows

[@consciencecuisine]

thickest eyebrows I've ever seen!!!

[@jetw9522]

Basically, he is trying to convey the message of speaking less and get to the point. but he spent more than 2 minutes and a half talking about the plates. I almost lost my patience. Although I like his main point, unfortunately, his talk showed me more "the counterproductive way to be more persuasive" 🤷

[@valentinbonnarde9345]

To be more persuasive to dumb people though

[@nvp9095]

Exactly

[@katherineindita1444]

paparapakyu

[@JakeyMikeySmithey]

iF yOu WiLl

[@alphazulo2966]

Renamed How to sell to the masses

[@jb.899]

Muzzle

[@cole_kirby1057]

Boken

[@469travel]

he has big eyebrows

[@Chris-op7yt]

there might be some truth to it but the larger set with btoken cups also represents buying into risk that the plates may in fact contain faults. you completely ignored this factor

[@RGW88]

I have to spend time getting rid of the broken one's. That cost me MY time, the most valuable thing I am willing to trade with.

[@alanasand44]

Am I not normal? Because in my mind I said I would pay the same.

[@alanasand44]

@@user-zv5xd6db3n ohhh...I was just listening to the items and I thought, “I’d pay the same for both sets.”

[@fep_ptcp883]

@@alanasand44 1 Upon close inspection, nobody is normal. 2 Perhaps you are not interested in cups. 3 Perhaps you have dyscalculia. 4 Nice profile pic, you're gorgeous.

[@alanasand44]

@@fep_ptcp883 hahah!! I definitely have dyscalculia!! I’m also a big thrift store shopper so broken or damaged items don’t bother me. In a way I find them more beautiful! ❤️ and thank you so much for the kind compliment! You made my day!!

[@fep_ptcp883]

@@alanasand44 Nice, i made your day by simply speaking the truth, that's cool. You seem like a lovely person (don't know why) and just felt like complimenting you for your gorgeous pic, 'cause why not? And thanks for teaching me a new word, _thrift_ . I'm adding to my vocabulary. 😉

[@songyuguang]

Less is more