IThe t is as a paradoxical to write it in a piece of opinion. But it should say: The arguments only have no significant impact on people’s beliefs. And the bad acceptance of the society they do is go to others, more effective forms of political thinking and doing.
I am a researcher who studies the intersection of psychology and politics, and my work increases with me that understanding our culture is how politics works wrong. At age Donald Trump, Elon Musk and the rise on the right, the commentators are endless in problems with fake news, polarization and more. But they mostly look at the wrong places – and focus on many words.
Get “debates”. They are a central part of the majority of election campaigns in the world, seen as influential as they are always supervised by strict rules around media coverage and balance. Although evidence suggests that seeing debates have no effect on opinions no matter what. In 2019 Researchers checked 56 TV leaders in 22 US elections, Canada, New Zealand and Europe from 1952 to 2016 they found no evidence that they did. In 2012, a reporter operates another analysis when debates influence the election results. As he put it: “The effects of debates in the last votes are likely to be gentle, and, in most cases, effectively nil.”
There are many reasons why the debate (and indeed, the information-information-in-information and an argument is likely to be ineffective in changing people’s political beliefs. Cognitive discharge, an event I have studied as part of my PhD research, USA. It is often unconscious psychological feelings that we feel when facing conflicts with our own beliefs or actions, and it is well documented. We can see the cognitive identification and its effects when people are fast “cause” in ways that will actually try to light their inconvenience about strong beliefs. For example, before Trump have been convicted of different charges In 2024, only 17% of Republican voters believed that Felon must be president; directly after his conviction, that count of 58%. To restore the two contradictory beliefs (that the presidents do not do x, and that should Trump must be Trump), a large number of Republican voters who changed their mind about the past. In fact, Republican voters shifted their views on more or less all the things Trump had been convicted of: Fewer felt it was immoral to have sex with a porn star, pay someone to stay silent about an affair, or falsify a business record. Nor is this effect limited by trumpet voters: Research suggests that all of us argue this way, to keep the beliefs we continue to operate like us. Or, ironically, to change some of our beliefs in response to new information, but often so that no need to sacrifice other strong beliefs.
But it’s not just psychological events like cognitive discharge that makes debates and arguments ineffective. As I am put in my bookPerhaps the most important factor of words does not change the mind that two other reasons bring more influence: our social relationships; and our own actions and experiences.
A sea of evidence shows that our friends have the power to change our beliefs and behavior – not by arguing with us, but only through us over our new ways of living. Studies of social contact theory Show that if people are set in conditions to become friends and cooperate, they are less discriminated against identity groups. This event may explain most of the advances in gay rights in the last few decades: people sell homosexuality to a maximum recorded transit to public. Similarly, Featured in research People are likely to participate in climate-friendly action (such as installing a heat pump), if their friends do – more than they are given money rewards or other types of incentives. Our friends expanded our field of concern; We have attached to the world, and they built confidence that people people appear to open new ideas. Their indirect influence has been achieved more than arguments, especially from strangers, can. In other words: When it comes to persuasion, it is not the conversation, it’s the relationship.
Our actions and experiences also have a deep impact, often often in counter-regulative ways. For example, research shows that if unequal circumstances, women turn There is an abortion Becomes better in favor of abortion rights, while women give an abortion more favorable. We may expect those who have been deprived to be more enthusiastic about access, but it is obvious – perhaps, in part because of their actions, even if people forced their actions, even if people were forced. The influence of actions and experiences of faith systems is also Obviously if about climate climate: Those experienced severe climate related events are especially likely to believe in climate change and solving it.
Compared to these influences, only arguments have minor power. However our institutions are shaped even when words are enough. We are infrastructural, collective trapped in liberal belief that politics is usually about speaking, then sporadically voting. What is required To anyone who hopes to highlight progressive ideas are not disputes, but an infrastructure develops new relationships and experiences. It can look like anything from a waiting spot for parents to get away before school, in a work union, in a public park. These infrastructure forms allow people to account for and act in new ways, construct friendship and confidence, and encourage actions that are at the end Allow people to change their political views.
It all suggests that we also need to think about what it means to be a good political Thinking. Thinking carefully about politics is not about “independent” thinking of feeling to think of yourself. However, thinking that good is to choose our friends wisely, in terms of similar variation and thoughtfulness, so that we can learn from and with them. In thinking about politics also means that it can be active in the world – try new ways of living, with many different experiences. Unfortunately, in a large part because of inequality in income, it is harder than before. Sociological research shows people in countries such as US and UK more isolated and Less Mobile than before. Social fabric should trust us with our prejudices. That’s about why the remote right wins: It’s good to move relationships and actions of people in this worst world of people’s situations. In order to fix it, progressives need to return wealth and power, so that everyone is supported in expanding their lives.
I can’t even attract you just by saying it, of course. Instead, I challenge you to know this in a more meaningful way: Create a connection with someone different, maybe someone is affected by a political issue. Or try a new way of living, something too little starts. See if it doesn’t change your political views, at least a little. Or may it change your political understanding itself.
