What stops people from changing their minds? | Jonah Berger | Big Think

What stops people from changing their minds?
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When you want someone to see things differently and to abandon their previous stance, sometimes persistence is not key.
"Too often we think change is about pushing," says Jonah Berger, author of the book The Catalyst: How to Change Anyone's Mind, and a marketing professor at the Wharton School at the University of Pennsylvania. "We think if we just come up with one more way people will eventually come around."
Through speaking with people who have successfully changed minds of others, Berger identified five common barriers and created the REDUCE framework for finding the catalysts needed to break through: reactants, endowment, distance, uncertainty, and corroborating evidence.
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JONAH BERGER:
Dr. Jonah Berger is a world-renowned expert on change, word of mouth, influence, consumer behavior, and how products, ideas, and behaviors catch on. He has published over 50 articles in top‐tier academic journals, teaches Wharton's highest rated online course, and popular outlets like The New York Times and Harvard Business Review often cover his work. He's keynoted hundreds of events, and often consults for organizations like Google, Apple, Nike, and the Gates Foundation.
His latest book The Catalyst: How to Change Anyone's Mind amzn.to/3m1espU
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TRANSCRIPT:
JONAH BERGER: Often when we think about changing someone's mind, whether it's in our personal lives or professional lives, we think the answer is pushing. If it's trying to change our spouse's mind, we think about listing more reasons. We think about changing the boss's mind, we think about making one more PowerPoint presentation. And it's clear why we think that'll work. If you think about the physical world, take a chair for example, and we think about moving a chair, pushing is often a great way to get a chair to go.
But when it comes to applying that same intuition to people there's a challenge, which is, when we push chairs, chairs go. When we push people they don't necessarily go, they often push back. Often, you know, we push, and we prod, and we add more reasons, or more facts, or more figures, and nothing happens. Change is really hard. And so, if pushing isn't the answer, well, well what is?
And it turns out there's this interesting analogy in chemistry. Chemical change is really hard. It often takes thousands if not millions of years for carbon to turn into diamonds, and plant matter to turn into oil. And so chemists often add temperature and pressure to make change happen faster. But it turns out, there's a special set of substances chemists often use to make change happen faster and easier. These substances are called catalysts. And what catalysts neatly do, in the chemical world, is they make change happen faster with less energy. They reduce, essentially, the barrier to change.
And in the social world, we tend to think about catalysts as just people that catalyze change, that cause change to happen. But really, in this book, I'm borrowing on that same notion from chemistry. Too often we think change is about pushing. We think if we just come up with one more way people will eventually come around. Rarely though, do we take a step back and say, ""Well, hold on, why hasn't that person changed already? What's stopping them? What's the thing getting in the way-that barrier or that obstacle that's getting in the way-and how can I mitigate it?""
I've talked to everyone, from startup founders, and people who changed their boss's mind, to folks that got their kids to do what they wanted their kids to do, or change their spouse's behavior. But also more interesting types of individuals that changed things in the almost most difficult of circumstances. I talked to people that have gotten folks to come from one political side to the other. I've talked to hostage negotiators that got people to come out with their hands up. And I've talked to people like substance abuse counselors, who've gotten people to quit even when quitting hadn't worked in the past.
Again and again, I saw the same five barriers come up, and so I put them in the framework: reactants, endowment, distance, uncertainty, and corroborating evidence, together spell the word reduce, which is exactly what great catalysts do. The basic idea of reactants is when we push people, they push back, they don't just go along with what we want them to do, they push back. And so, we need to...
Read the full transcript at bigthink.com/videos/how-to-ch...

[@bigthink]

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[@luizpaulovialgoes252]

Video resumed: The Causes: - The reaction to pushing makes people stop changing their minds. - Complacency with the status quo will stop people from changing their minds. - Too big of a requisition will make people stop changing their minds. - Uncertainty of the result/end point will scare people away from changing their minds. - Not having enough proof prevents people from changing their minds. The Solutions: - give freedom and make them feel comfortable with your idea without reacting to it. - highlight that the status quo is comfortable but not safe: arriving to the point it's always better to be open to new ideas. - don't make your idea too farfetched or people automatically won't consider it. Instead, break it in small steps - make it known and familiar as opposed to uncertain and foreign - provide amount of proof that's enough to eliminate doubt I actually found these 5 causes and how to deal with them quite informative. How come people watch a 4 min video and absorbs nothing?

[@BLISSOFFICAL]

Thanks a ton! Your summary was very helpful.

[@jomana1109]

You forgot to mention that you can change a person’s mind easily by making a deal or asking a favor. These are not the only strategies.

[@trollingfortruth5039]

i think that's called conditional acceptance, and it's a very effective approach

[@jomana1109]

@@trollingfortruth5039 learned it from them lawyers in Suits

[@gameplayhd8065]

@@jomana1109 i dont realy understand… do u have a video or something which i can Watch.. I am very Interested in the topic

[@EugeneKhutoryansky]

There are many self-help books on how to change people's minds. They should all be titled for what they really are: How to manipulate people.

[@theknightwhosayn1]

I love your videos man .

[@EugeneKhutoryansky]

Change is often necessary, but the title of these books is not "How to change people's minds when necessary."

[@bbqueen9311]

I urge you to read "how to have impossible conversations" :) awesome book that tells you at the 2nd page that if you apply it correctly and fail at changing someone's mind, it's because YOU are learning something from the conversation. The point is truth, not to impose your vision of truth

[@slimreynolds6935]

@@bbqueen9311 Subjective Relativism? Truth is truth, we just can't see it. Read Plato. There is no your truth, my truth. I have to agree with the comment made that this is manipulation. I'd take it the the level of brainwashing. I've had a boss try to do this to me. This "great thinker", lol, is talking about how to brainwash people into accepting social change, not how to simply change someone's mind. Damn the fact that some people have unchanging principles and beliefs based upon morality. But, when you begin with a weak analogy to a desk chair, what can we expect? Rational thought, real argument and solid discourse change minds. Problem with this premise in our current social climate is many don't have a set of principles or values they believe in, so they believe in what they're told is pretty and right, even if it's not truth and is lie...not what they've vetted through rational thought. Another key piece that must be included with rational thought is education about what things are and the history of why things are. Completely missing from most conversation.

[@xyzxyz1243]

It's "manipulation" when it's INVOLUNTARY. When you read a self-help book, you yourself are trying to change your mind.

[@trollingfortruth5039]

Very helpful information for introducing the concept of flat earth to stubborn globe believers. Thanks!

[@harpreetpannu2267]

🤣🤣🤣

[@ViltsuV]

Whoever thought it was a good idea to put "get smarter faster... blah blah" in the end should take that advice. You shouldn't need to say that if the gravitas of the video's content itself commands a subscription.

[@andriashausiku2339]

Explain more

[@wayoutdan8334]

Literally everything in "REDUCE" is exactly what I usually list as reasons when I am "pushing" someone. Furthermore, the premise of why we think that pushing will work is completely wrong. It's not because pushing works on chairs, because the only reason anyone equates physical pushing with intellectual pushing is that it works to achieve a change; the intellectual pushing has already worked on us, so we attempt to transfer the same force onto someone else. When reasons fail to work on someone, I try to understand where the trouble is by asking questions and listening (often they are pushing me as well). Unfortunately, this has never worked because people often don't have patience to talk with me and when they do talk, the talk very quickly breaks down into them screaming utter nonsense. I'd just give up on people except that then I'd have no friends or employment. The same problems pop up again and again. Nothing is ever resolved. Then there is the question of what to do with the police, judges, legislators, and those who enable them by voting for them. Nothing seems to work. That's what I explain in my next book, anyways.

[@bigphones666]

Watch 12 Angry Men

[@sammorrison8042]

Amen

[@jomana1109]

Any other great movies to share?

[@636Knight]

@@jomana1109 i have some, depends on the field tho

[@jomana1109]

@@636Knight The best of each field would be great amigo :p

[@novdeepsingh002d2]

Moonlight ,manchester by sea ,million dollar baby

[@VEVOJavier]

Video starts 2:30

[@asad3987]

Comfort.

[@ashwhikidd]

Honestly, I'm only subscribed to this channel because of Michelle thaller.

[@wrath0808]

TLDR: "Buy my book to actually get useful information." Absolutely, nothing of use here.

[@circleinfo]

Did you really expect that the whole concept can reduced into a 4 minute video? For real? Of course you need to read further if you want to understand it. You also can't put math into the first week of school. For me the overall framework was interesting.

[@emmanuelokoye1575]

He gave reasons why people resist change and corresponding points to consider when trying to get them to change; 1) The instinct to push back when pushed, 2) The comfort of familiarity, 3) The sheer, often frightening, distance between current state and desired state, 4) The fear of the uncertainty that will inevitably accompany said change, and 5) The need for corroborating evidence, without which nobody would believe the change were possible, or worth it. But sure, absolutely nothing of use.

[@mackeyblack9225]

Wow. Your ego and condescension urges me to tell people NOT to buy your book. This is a great video for an into to those who dont understand this and a great breakdown to help teach. You can tell he is coming from a good place. Unlike your nasty and unnecessary comment

[@dipankarmallick5543]

Superb english

[@areebshaukat5840]

Instructions unclear: How do i put my boss' brain back in his head?

[@dogman1264]

Interesting but not very effective as your tempo was without voice tone changes. Thereby making it harder for someone, I think to grasp your concepts. I have always felt to change someone's mind was to make them feel comfortable with the change that will happen and feeling empathy for the uncomfortable reason for the new path to be taken with conviction. Sometimes breaking down the other person's points of view bit by bit. Having to show someones what it the best thing for them to do, or say truly may not be and then you have a win if they move in their thoughts. Sometimes making them think more about something will open them up for change.

[@MrValgard]

Though it's gonna be about someone ideas. How to ryly change someone mind

[@MrValgard]

@dread true no it wasn't, change my mind xd

[@MrValgard]

@dread true i said in vid there was nothing that ryly can change someone mind (vid is about social mrnagment, not changing beliefs). U said otherwise so porve it and change my mind :P why I should try change yours? If I think it's impossible. Logic

[@MrValgard]

@dread true vid is short for from video, and if u want be grammar nazi u say 'for you' not 'to you'. And I'm from Poland, not American, what is u point now? Xd

[@ghenghiskha8240]

Awesome thank for sharing this video. It really helped my sister-in-law in her gender transition. She is now going to have gender reassignment surgery soon. Thanks for valuble insights.

[@Sai-jw8og]

First of all nobody cares if you change except maybe your family and a few friends, other than that nobody gives a damn. Self-induced change/transformation is the best for you. Wishing everyone a great 2021.

[@RichLuciano1]

What changed in your mind from watching this video?

[@DrHowbeit]

"Corroborating evidence" and "more proof" sound like pushing though

[@chymes681]

You can give them evidence, but don't push them towards your position. Just objective facts

[@lukemotivationalideas4415]

Catalyst

[@agamerjourney9146]

Honestly so many people don’t want to listen. Know could personally individual don’t want listen to that person logic/opinion. It chance people will agree with you. Yet push back just cause it’s coming from your mouth. Always say should go into conversation trying change people minds. Just makes people want push back and not change mind. Instead going into conversation and allow be open with own view points. Get understand much better why as your view maybe not right. Yet totally possible that both view have common benefits just different takes on ideas/ motivates. As long type wants to be right you find changing person mind difficult.

[@FMRovers]

simpler way is : disconect their idea with their pride/person/self and then you can convince them without them pushing back.

[@aster5031]

5/5

[@AbrahamLincoln4]

I'm starting to change my mind on coming back to life.

[@ryanslings6234]

What's up, Abe?

[@dpetty71222]

I actually got nothing out of this. It was him just saying a bunch of nothing😒

[@kwitwerikok8o863]

Yes, nonstop talking about a bunch of nothing along with inaffectual middle management type acronyms doesn't work for me.

[@circleinfo]

Thats because he broke down a concept he explains for hours, into a 4 minutes video. He gave you the framework to dive deeper into it yourself. For me it is a very interesting concept.

[@dpetty71222]

This was totally useless and yall know it. There is no way around it😒

[@circleinfo]

@@dpetty71222 If you think a whole book squeezed into a 4 minute video wasn't enough for you, you can read the book. Its called " The Catalyst by jonah berger "

[@emmanuelokoye1575]

@@dpetty71222 It's the height of arrogance to deem something useless just because you didn't understand or get much from it. He gave reasons why people resist change and corresponding points to consider when trying to get them to change; 1) The instinct to push back when pushed, 2) The comfort of familiarity, 3) The sheer, often frightening, distance between current state and desired state, 4) The fear of the uncertainty that will inevitably accompany said change, and 5) The need for corroborating evidence, without which nobody would believe the change were possible, or worth it. He summarises this, the contents of his book, in a 4-minute video, and you claim it's a bunch of nothing? Wow..

[@bartmannn6717]

Ok, now please the 4:34:00h version.

[@rmapcynan1039]

"but really in this book" Ah, so this video is an advert for his book. 'Changing your spouses behaviour'. Hmm...if a spouse is going to try and change my behaviour, they aren't going to be my spouse for very long. Asking for too much. Ever heard of the expression 'give an inch and they'll take a mile'? Jonah says, start with smaller asks, and then ask for more. Try that with me and you have guaranteed I will not engage with you ever again. Tell me exactly what you want at the outset. We then negotiate if I'm not willing to give you all you ask for. Ask for something small, and then come back for more, and more, you will be cut off. I will not work with you.

[@rebelquadronfpv1065]

Useless lecture?

[@DoomRulz]

I wonder if Steven Crowder has seen this yet.

[@gt4654]

Who will change the mind-changers mind?!?

[@Sal3600]

the mind changers never makes up his mind lmao

[@keesdenheijer7283]

Do you mean changing his mind about not buying his audio gear at Toys 'R' Us?

[@keesdenheijer7283]

@dread true Do you mean that they are wrong about their magical sky daddy?

[@kwitwerikok8o863]

@@keesdenheijer7283 thanks for the good laugh.

[@user-kw1td4fb7f]

I don't know who needs to hear this , you've got to stop saving money. Invest some part of it, if you really want financial freedom

[@user-kw1td4fb7f]

Invest in bitcoin, gold, silver,buy stock, forex market, commodities. Just invest and save yourself.

[@mercyclara7315]

Good talk ,i tell my friends everyday. it's good to save money but gotta have that investing spirit if you really want financial freedom

[@paulalexander616]

What if you don't know how to trade any of these? I mean, i see your point. Some people have the money and are willing to invest .but the problem is where to.

[@marthatom753]

Exactly, very good point✌

[@paulalexander616]

Wow , amazing

[@stillkickin3919]

Nice try...

[@ArinjayBhattacharya-dz4zj]

Watch the video not comments not actors

[@saniapanezai9939]

Ok

[@blu3leg3nd]

it lacks substance though

[@bleirdo_dude]

Answer: The Holy Dopamine Ghost.

[@someshkumar2411]

Doesn't work on people predetermined - to not change...

[@SebiSzabi]

This is too complicated. Ill just stick to tell others what to do. :D

[@FromFame]

I'll simplify it for you. Don't defend yourself, ever. You'll be surprised how your enemies will disappear.

[@ICHAP]

Human beings are super opinionated Especially in this generation. 🇳🇬

[@David-zi9nr]

Is that an opinion or fact? 🇺🇸

[@Sal3600]

@@David-zi9nr Probably an opinion as he hasn't cited any studies or records of such a phenomenon.

[@ICHAP]

@@David-zi9nr Haha I love the fact that you used the flag 😅

[@David-zi9nr]

@@ICHAP haha, of course bro 💪🏽. Respect.

[@filiphedman4392]

@@Sal3600 You don't need that. Just open your damn eyes.

[@user-qb9ng8wp3u]

Простите за то, что пишу на русском, но так мне будет удобнее выразить свою точку зрения; Прочитав ваши комментарии, удивилась узостью мышления иностранных адресатов. Однако мой комментарий будет о самом содержании видео. Конечно, могу сказать, что такое развернутое упоминание про химию, как будто никто не знает, как работают реагенты, глупо, потому что видео не про это. Ну а теперь о самом главном: Выделенные главные пять способов не совсем верны. Следовало бы упомянуть, что одним из самых надежных способов переубеждения собеседника является сначала согласиться с некоторыми его высказываниями, а потом выразить свою точку зрения. Вот гораздо более точная формулировка пяти препятствий: 1. Глупость собеседника; 2. Его убеждения в своей правоте; 3. Долгое время убеждения; 4. Недоверие к собеседнику; 5. Нежелание сдаваться Моя формулировка более точна и понятна. Теперь о Вашей формулировке: 1. Реагенты. Свобода и автономность только ухудшают ситуацию; 2. Одаренность. Тут я с Вами согласна; 3. Расстояние. Возможно, но это не главный пункт; 4. Неопределенность. Это уже было во втором пункте; 5. Подтверждающие доказательство. Это настолько очевидно, что записывать это не имеет смысла; Спасибо за внимание, надеюсь, хоть кто-нибудь переведет :)

[@kwitwerikok8o863]

What? Was that the Sham Wow guy?

[@nirui.o]

Where you got this pink hat in the thumbnail?

[@salahdin6382]

Their stubbornness stops them. As Satan was stubborn but Adam and Hawwa repented soon when they realise their mistake.

[@importantname]

Im a chair

[@staceykeeley4219]

Boy, you're gonna carry that weight.....

[@Talkinglife]

Nice ...

[@chucksargent41]

What if YOU are wrong? Probably worth considering, especially if you get others to follow. I like this channel, but this was not a good video.

[@fifthhoven]

People being egocentric, arrogant, small-minded a__holes. Exactly like that.

[@cryptocovered4729]

I’m changing my mind on having to decided to watch this video ... 5 mins???

[@SagaciousEagle]

How to change people's mind? Money.

[@jomana1109]

@Charles-A Rovira Why is the Arab world hated?

[@dreamdrone]

You start off discussing how ineffective using a list is to sway a person. And then use a list to make your case. This is a cognitive dissonance video.

[@jazznroll5]

Don't worry guys. Elon is working on that.....the operator will send a command via the 5g network to ip address in you brain and boom...you are a new man...

[@1995yuda]

read the definition of the word "manipulation" before you start blaming him for it and realise yall are doing this every single fucking day.

[@hanskloss7726]

So you need to add manipulation to facts and logic? Guess it is true

[@circleinfo]

Your sentence is manipulative in itself, because he never talked about manipulation and also didn't sayed "don't use facts". The E even stands for "evidence".

[@hemanthsai4584]

Sorry to say this you look like Mona Lisa

[@realfactsscience3925]

Random Fact: The heart of a blue whale is so huge that a human child could easily swim through its arteries. -RealFacts

[@sof4183]

YOUR POINT ?

[@realfactsscience3925]

@@sof4183 A human child can swim in arteries (arteries are the blood vessels that carry oxygenated blood) of a blue whale. Conclusion is that heart of a blue whale is very big.

[@evanwolf6618]

🌊🌊🌊🌊🌊🌊🐳🐳🌊🐳🌊🌊🌊🌊🌊🐳🌊🐳🌊🌊🌊🌊🌊🌊🐳🌊🐳🌊🐳🌊🐳🐳🐳🌊🐳🌊🐳🐳🐳🐳🌊🐳🌊🐳🌊🌊🌊🌊🌊🌊🌊🌊🌊🌊🌊🐳🌊🌊🌊🌊🌊🌊🌊🌊🐳🐳🐳🐳 i like blue whales

[@Derpster2493]

Why won't God heal amputees?

[@jomana1109]

Coz God doesn’t interfere with life on earth; only in very special circumstances

[@jomana1109]

@dread true Lol, honestly these questions show me how little the people asking it understand about faith and religion. And on some occasions how poorly constructed/implemented is the religion they’re in. Acting as if their faith, God or religion is the reason war, violence, etc...exists; while in the end, it’s them who pointed the gun.

[@jomana1109]

@dread true Agreed, the whole point of the questions is to test the religion and the believers based on what they’ve claimed. But you can look at them at an alternative angle, which is using these questions to reinforce your faith by understanding the religion and its god enough to repel their attacks. Personally things I find lacking in Christianity. Are you a religious person? (If you don’t mind me asking).

[@jomana1109]

@dread true I said this statement bc I believe that a lot of Christians leave their faith when faced with these questions. What I’m implying is that a lot of them don’t understand their religion or the origin of their faith deeply; easily swayed by whatever challenges them, for example these questions. I don’t believe what the atheists presented as something that nullifies your religion is true. I’m Muslim.

[@pwong88]

I wish I can change my wife's mind. Not in a million year

[@em11111]

He said nothing useful there. If you keep posting videos like that you should call your channel "Big Stink".