How Minds Change

I started reading this (really, listening to the audiobook) on a recommendation of a close contact. Well researched chapters detail individual examples, aspects of science and academically-supported information contrasting different approaches for working to change people's minds. I found the end of the book, which looked at how big social changes happen (slowly, a bit at a time, then all at once) unexpectedly hopeful.

This book left me with a pile of additional reading to do, as the citations to other books, academic work and videos was delightfully complete.

McRaney explores the psychology of persuasion, intrigued by the work of the Los Angeles LGBT Center and their Deep Canvassing technique. The other method that he covers is Street Epistemology, which isn't specifically supposed to change minds. Just make people look hard at their reasons, which if those reasons are bad maybe they'll consider changing them on their own.

The rest of the chapters explores psychological concepts around persuasion and the final chapter is one on social change and networks of human contact. That last chapter is frustrating because McRaney presents it as if the change that spreads through human social thought is inevitably positive in the long run (LGBTQ people are so accepted! Anti-vax people that really opposed covid vaccines are mostly getting vaccinated in Britain now!) The book was published in 2022, so the current backlash against trans people hadn't reached the heights it has, but we've been watching it build for a while so I'm not so optimistic that social change is positive.

However, the methods of persuasion discussed seem intriguing if somewhat distasteful. Both methods emphasize being judgement free of people's bad and harmful positions in order to change their minds. In the context of canvassing, I can do that (I worked on Washington state's 2012 marriage equality referendum). Keeping judgement out of my conversation for short term conversations while canvassing is much easier than keeping it out of a long term relationship with relatives. I might be more successful on topics like housing (with some training, of course) that don't directly threaten people because of who they are.

A worthwhile overview and read, but don't consider this a how-to. For that, read & train up on the methods after reading this book.

I didn't start with high expectations for this book but was pleasantly surprised. It was very insightful and clearly written - a mix of interesting conversations, humane stories and individual journeys, as well as some social science, psychology and neuroscience theory and research. I really enjoyed reading it. Now I need to give McRaney's podcast a second chance.