The Biggest Secret to Convincing Anyone of Anything
Before I reveal the secret, I must explain how the brain works.
The human brain has a 2-3 lb cortex which is what differentiates us from other animals. This is a relatively new appendage in the brain in the evolutionary time-line. This part of the brain is responsible for all intellectual aspects of our existence. These include taking tests, solving complicated problems and designing machines and rockets.
There is also a relatively older (in the evolutionary time-line) portion of the brain that is not very well known and understood but is a very important part in our day to day existence and what gives us our identity.
This part of the brain is referred to as “the limbic system”. The limbic system is a conglomeration of different structures that form a complex network of neurons that respond to hormones and is a center of all emotional and sensual feelings. This is in effect what we refer to as our heart in colloquial terms.
Most beliefs and emotional feelings reside in the limbic system. Short term memories are converted into long term memories in the limbic system.
Neurons connect the limbic system to the cortex and there is communication between the limbic system and the cortex.
Emotional responses in the limbic system trigger neurons and send signals to the cortex. The cortex then justifies what the emotions want.
I believe,
Information only flows one way between the limbic system and the cortex. It flows from the limbic system to the cortex. It does not flow from the cortex to the limbic system.
Emotions used to convince people are many, and have been used very effectively in history to convince human beings of doing what they do not want to do.
The most powerful emotion that is used in situations where people have no alternatives is fear. The second most powerful emotion where people have alternatives is guilt.
I believe, what you never want to do is to try to convince someone to do something with logic.
In other words, you can never convince someone driven by emotion by the most crystal clear logic. In fact, using logic may anger the person you are trying to convince. Anger is a powerful emotion which can add to your problems of trying to convince him or her even more. You can only convince him or her by another emotion which is stronger than the emotion that is making them do whatever they are doing.
You can, however convince someone who has already decided (emotionally) to be convinced.
No amount of logic can convince a Romeo to give up a Juliet but a betrayal (another emotion) can cause a crack and more betrayals may eventually result in a break-up.
The worst mistake we all make is we give more importance than we should to the cortex and less importance than we should to the limbic system.
Understanding the fact that emotions drive most of our behaviors and our behaviors make us who we are, sheds more light on why Obama was elected the president of the United States and why Apple is the priciest company in the world and cannot keep products on the shelf.
The Secret therefore is, what is the emotion that you can evoke to make the person receptive to what you have to offer!
