A new persuasion metaohor

Ali Anani, PhD

ou own an

idea that is housed

in your mind for

long times

You are in peace with this idea

Then… Somebody walks in with a conflicting idea

What would happen?

Rejection

Cats sounds a good metaphor

ats

Will the two cats adapt

their opinion, revise their

beliefs, or change their

behavior as a result of

social interactions with

each other?

Will the opinions of the two interacting cats converge or split over repeated interactions?

And so, Will the two interacting ideas in my head come to peace with each other or will they have a battle in my head?

Bringing the two cats together is a recipe for conflict

The intensity

of fight

shall depend

on

The intensity of fight shall depend on

The age difference between the two cats, their persona and if they are of the same sex or not

or example, if

you bring two

female cats they

shall pair up better

than two males

because males

have instinct to

fight

ats and

motions

The intensity of fighting shall depend on the emotional status of the cats.

ats which

are stressed tend to

be more aggressive

Imagine ideas are like cats in your head

If a person is stressed with an

idea and is not sure about it,

bringing a new idea in his/her

head shall cause a fight

between the two ideas

Persuasion in this case will be difficult

Plantation of

ideas in a

stormy head

is not a

good

exercise

Persuading troubled and very hesitant minds is futile

Bringing ideas from two different cultures shall lead to their hissing and growling in my head

Bringing ideas together abruptly shall only lead to anxiety and confusion

So, what to do?

So, what to do?

What can we learn

from cats?

By: preparation, separation and familiarization

Keep the two cats in separate rooms; mingle both cats' scents on a washcloth (by rubbing the cloth on their fur) and place the washcloth next to their feeding areas. Observe their initial encounters to help the relationship advance smoothly

So, don’t mix ideas right away. Keep them separate. Look for the “joint scent” between them and share it among parties

How about having a picture of the two cats together? Share the photo so that both cats may see it

Cats move their attention to toys. So, giving two cats a toy might distract their direct angry attention to each other

ata

t

Toy

Create a joint enemy. Bring a third cat for a short time. The two cats have now a shared interest

This way the resistance of the two cats to accepting each other decreases

Two conflicting ideas- then find a shared enemy for both and the benefits of acceptance emerge

Find a common thread between your idea and the other side’s idea. A third idea that appeals to both parties to establish common understandings.

Never assume. Watch for trouble signals

Upon encounter, one cat or both might give signals of discomfort such as flattening its tail or spitting

Avoidance strategy works best. Separate the two cats for a while. Keep repeating this “encounter” till signals of refusal wane out

If you wish to persuade somebody with your idea remember your are adding a cat (idea) to his head. The struggle of cats starts

Gradual acceptance Keep away your idea from the other person. Keep repeating that till signs of refusals disappear.

Living with a new person or a new idea is similar in that both need to accept the unfamiliar object to become familiar. So, what applies to a cat living with a cat also applies to a man sharing his mind with a new idea. All are accommodation processes

If your customer wants a blue suit then turn the blue light. If he wants it green then turn on the green light

The journey from

Reject Persuade Accept

May benefit from the way cats move from rejection to accepting each other

Great Addition from Jeff Washburn

The picture follows. Enjoy