Are You a Persuader?
The Book On Capturing Hearts, Minds, and Democracy
By Guest Contributor Kris Wood
In life, my interest in things ebbs and flows in seemingly haphazard ways. I’ll start a new daily routine, like beginning the day with hot lemon water, following through on it every morning for weeks. But then, the idea seems to escape from my brain, leading me to completely forget I was doing it until something reminds me about it days, even weeks later!
I find this to mainly be the case with podcasts as I will toggle between several on my drive to and from work. Brene Brown’s podcast is the exception as it’s one that I regularly turn to for learning and enrichment.
Recently, after a stint of not listening to any during my drive, I thought I’d jump back in with a two-part episode. The first podcast in the new lineup happened to be one with former foreign correspondent, columnist for The New York Times, and award-winning author Anand Giridharadas. Brene interviewed him to discuss his new book, “The Persuaders: At the Front Lines of the Fight for Hearts, Minds, and Democracy”.
I have to admit that it wasn’t exactly the kind of reentry I imagined. But what the heck, I jumped in. Before completing the first episode, I knew this was the next book I wanted to read. On the heels of the most challenging year of my life, I found myself excited to once again have the capacity to be able to read and write.
Admittedly though, to have this politically contentious book be one of the first that I digest and review in 2023 didn’t feel like fun.
However, complacency, the attitude the author warned against, was already comfortably seated in my psyche. Shying away from difficult conversations to avoid conflict, judgment (theirs and mine), or simply jostling a relationship too much is a path I’ve taken more and more often in recent years, particularly since Trump’s presidency.
“Temper yourself, you can be too much” says the voice in my head.
Since I do not need to persuade anyone of anything (except my son), I have embraced a “live and let live” mentality. Consequently, I try to listen and minimize my engagement, knowing that if I lean into it too much, I’ll quickly get impassioned and not engage in a very clear or open way.
If conflict is possible by participating in what feels like a difficult/challenging conversation, why go there, right? This question is answered right out of the gate in The Persuaders. As the author notes:
“The lifeblood of any free society is persuasion: changing other people’s minds in order to change things. But America is suffering a crisis of faith in persuasion that is putting its democracy and the planet itself at risk. Americans increasingly write one another off instead of seeking to win one another over. Debates are framed in moralistic terms, with enemies battling the righteous. Movements for justice build barriers to entry, instead of on-ramps. Political parties focus on mobilizing the faithful rather than wooing the skeptical. And leaders who seek to forge coalitions are labeled sellouts.”
Mr. Giridharadas dives into a different approach to persuasion by interviewing a well-rounded group of individuals from various backgrounds who have made, and continue to make, an impact of some kind on our nation’s most pressing challenges. People such as Alicia Garza, who co-founded the international Black Lives Matter movement; Cesar Torres, who leads groups of canvassers knocking on doors to help clear up misperceptions on immigration; Anat Shenker-Osorio, who intricately analyzes how to word messages, texts, and speeches in a way that’s impactful as possible in an ever-changing landscape; and many others who forge a path through the polarization of our society to find common ground in which to help us all stand.
Through the backstory of these individuals highlighted in the book, you grasp the commonality we all have and remember that our differences are genuinely not as significant as some would have us think. The specifics are different from one individual to another, for sure, but the hopes and dreams are more similar than you can imagine.
In reading the book, I found myself relating and at the same time, getting curious about perspectives and experiences unknown to me and wanting to learn more.
The Persuaders espouses mindful, respectful, and impactful ways to connect with people whose ideas, beliefs, and experiences differ from yours. It starts with recognizing that the purpose of the discussion is NOT to change another’s mind but instead to listen and draw attention to any areas in that their stated beliefs appear to be incongruent with their life experience. This helps to personalize issues and perpetuates a deeper reflection on the topic.
The book can also help us move away from the “them vs. us” mentality, as we have all been on one or the other side of this at some point. Thinking back to how that experience may have felt creates coherence between the topic of discussion and personal affinity.
Ultimately, whether a change of mind occurs or not, a respectful discourse takes place, which can soften the stance between people who have different views. That is a win, no matter what! Because by not being willing to take that risky step and have a conversation, we decide to allow things to continue as is, which is not acceptable to anyone…liberal or conservative, white or black, city folk or rural residents. If it isn’t one person’s responsibility to shift and change, then it’s no one's responsibility.
In the absence of these raw conversations, we, as a country and as global citizens, lose. Because in the absence of our voice, someone with an agenda will step forward and speak for us.
As was gloriously sung in the highly acclaimed musical called Hamilton, “If you stand for nothing, what will you fall for?” Standing up and speaking up represents a very challenging thing to do, particularly with respect, confidence, and curiosity. That is the goal, the dream of this book, namely, to instill a curiosity that fuels further inquiry, conversation, and connection.