Ask no man

No More Contention is the pursuit of clarity, charity and understanding. Contention arises from the compulsion to have others agree with us. Seeking understanding in an environment of clarity and charity produces no more contention. As Joseph Smith said, "I will ask no man to believe as I do."

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Three broad categories

In a sense, contention is inevitable and unavoidable because every individual is unique, and no two people agree on everything.  Ideally, we...

Friday, August 30, 2024

People can change their minds

In the pursuit of clarity, charity and understanding, there's an excellent article in the Deseret News by Jacob Hess on how people change their minds.

https://www.deseret.com/opinion/2024/08/28/overcoming-persuasion-skepticism/

Hess discusses a book by David McRaney that I greatly enjoyed titled How Minds Change.

https://www.davidmcraney.com/howmindschangehome

The understanding element consists of not seeking to persuade, convince, or convert, but instead seeking to understand one another. By sharing information and thought processes, people can make informed decisions for themselves.

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The article describes the steps for changing one's mind:

Conditions supporting persuasion

The podcast summarized a few key conditions making it more likely that people will feel comfortable changing their minds.

1. I’m not threatening you

2. I’m willing to listen with empathy and compassion

3. Acknowledging good reasons to resist persuasion

4. Appreciation that persuasion is normal and happens every day

5. There is more to your identity than even you may think

6. We have more in common than we may realize

7. I respect that you have to decide on your own perspective