The Best Way To Change A Mind is To Stop Trying

The failing game of fighting beliefs with logic

If you reflect on what you believe about people and the business of living, you’ll quickly realise that you picked the ideas up subconsciously. Beliefs become embedded in our internal operating systems by defining emotional moments and then govern and shape our lives silently.

So, how do we expect well-worded objections to change minds? I have a visceral reaction to unsolicited commands. They inspire instant rebellion and determination to move in the opposite direction. No one likes a dictator, yet we attempt to fight years of subconscious programs with witty copy and logical arguments.

Our belief systems are far from logical. They are identity markers, social levers, and internal signposts. They become an extension of ourselves, and suddenly questioning our beliefs feels like an interrogation—like we must defend our right to exist. Our beliefs feel like home, and we hold them tighter when anyone threatens to demolish our truth.

Cigarette boxes display increasingly morbid warning labels on their packaging, yet smokers happily indulge. Despite countless blogs, books and conversations on the dangers of too much social media, we still doom-scroll in bed instead of attempting to rid ourselves of a ‘mysterious insomnia.’

Shock value messages and the best-laid arguments often fall flat for a simple reason. We are driven by emotion and social belonging. We are only convinced to try new ideas when they are presented with the right mix of energy and social capital.

To change a mind is to rewrite the scripts that shape a person. We must do so with care, consideration, and patience, allowing metamorphosis to follow due process. Change requires courage, and we must be ready to give space to wrestle with new ideas.