People who Empathize are Better at Persuading
By Jamil Zaki and Luiza Santos
The Washington Post
September 10, 2024
"When it comes to politics, many Americans feel increasing contempt for the other side. The problem lies not only in how we feel but also with errors in our thinking. Recognizing this reality offers a key to how we might rediscover common ground and de-escalate conflict…
"Political and media ‘conflict entrepreneurs,’ who profit when fear and contempt overrun public conversations, feed us terrifying depictions of our rivals as bloodthirsty monsters who want to burn our nation to the ground. Cable news and social media platforms promote systematically biased information, warping our perceptions…
"People who overestimate the other side’s hatred and violence grow more willing to hate and harm, as well.
"Good disagreers don’t hide their own perspective, but they also express genuine curiosity about others’ views and point out common ground when they see it. They share personal stories and ask about each other’s experiences. This type of exchange isn’t just nice — it’s powerful… If you want someone else to open their mind, a great place to start is opening yours first.
"If you’re like most people, you belong to an exhausted majority. You probably want greater cooperation, peace and freedom. You also might think that the people you disagree with want the opposite, and that political disaster is inevitable…
"As long as we let conflict entrepreneurs guide us, we will loathe each other, escalate and give up on anything better. If we instead follow the data, we can realize that the great majority of Americans want something better."
Jamil Zaki is a professor of psychology at Stanford University and author of “Hope for Cynics: The Surprising Science of Human Goodness.” Luiza Santos is a recent graduate of Stanford’s psychology PhD program.
About Heart of a Nation
Empowering the next generation of American, Israeli, and Palestinian change-makers to embrace better, together.
אנחנו מכנסים הוגים מובילים, פעילים חברתיים, ומחוללי שינוי לעתיד, אמריקאים, ישראלים ופלסטינאים, המחויבים לשיפור החברות שלהם.
نحن أمريكيون وإسرائيليون وفلسطينيون نبني ونكوّن روابط من أجل التعلم والتفكير والمشاركة معًا حتى نشجع الحلول التقدمية بشأن القضايا التي تهمنا جميعًا.