How to Persuade People

Authors Steven Levitt and Stephen Dubner of "Think Like A Freak" write about the idea of persuasion in their book and discuss how difficult it is to convince people. One of the reasons for this is that people already possess a predisposed mentality to their own opinions. Even the famous basketball legend Kareem Abdul -Jabbar once said, " It's easier to jump out of a plane -hopefully with a parachute- than it is to change your mind about your opinions." One of the tips that the authors recommend for persuading others is to admit your argument is not perfect. This got me thinking about argumentative essays and their importance in making students understand that the opposite view is just as important as their own argument.

Listen to their interview