Read book "Changing minds : the art and science of changing our own and other people's minds" by Howard Gardner
Howard Gardner, best known for his theory of intelligence, has written a thought provoking and intriguing book. The title of the book is somewhat misleading, as it deals more with leadership and communication, than with changing the behavior or personalities of individuals. Thus, if you are looking for a self-help book, a book on personal change, or a text on psychotherapies, then this is the wrong book for you. The book is more appropriate for political leaders, corporate leaders, or new supervisors, looking for some non-traditional ideas on the leadership process and on how to influence others. It may take some work to convert the ideas offered here into practice, but Gardner's book should prove interesting to those looking for some creative concepts that are not found in the typical business text on leadership.
For well over 10 years, Howard Gardner has been writing books exploring many aspects of the mind - from how the mind creates, to traits leaders have. Following this path, he has now written a book exploring the phenomenon of mind changing. How do we do it? What plays a factor in it? Why is it so dang hard to convincce people to give up well cherished (wrong) beliefs for new (right) ones?
The problem is that we get only the vaguest of answers to these questions. As I like to say, the best psychology tells us most of the things we already knew (but may not have known we knew). This book follows suit. It might explain which of the seven "factors" (listed by the reviewer below) plays a part in different mind changing situations, but hardly eluminates beyond that.
For instance, in a chapter devoted to how politicians try and change our minds, we hear about Margaret Thatcher and Ronald Reagan (both iconoclasts who were successful in the end at mind changing). The explanation to their success in mind changin is that they were able to tell their story, their nation's story, and a vision for the country's future, in different conceptual language than their opponents (and convine us that their own story was better. That answer seems quite right, but I was hoping it would be followed by examples of how they did this - how they told stories different from their opponents, while gradually winning acceptance for them. Gardner hardly gives any.
Much of the book is like this. After he explains the general principles utilized in one situation, he doesn't bolster it with detail and example, but simply moves on to the next situation.