Chapter 5 - Cognition
"If political persuasion worked this way, it would make changing the world a lot easier – all we'd have to do is marshal the evidence and prove our point and the 'people' would decide in our favor. The problem is that it doesn't . . . No one is sequestered in a jury box, legally bound to listen to evidence"
This quote is very true because sometimes facts are just not enough. When trying to get your activism topic across to other people it is important to meet them where they are at. You have to do this because it will help to make them listen and understand. Once they understand they can better obtain the information.
". . . it is easier to remember a meaningful sentence than a series of random letters, due to the associative links between the units of information. By changing their context and presentation the units of information, we transformed seemingly random bits of information into a sentence with meaning – in other words, we created a story, and one that could be shared with others"
This quote ties into my first quote because it has to do with better obtaining the information. It is always good to have a good slogan that people remember and understand. Whether that be a paraphrase of a full quote or an exact quote, words are extremely powerful. Especially when they are placed together efficiently and intentionally.
"Today, operating on 'autopilot' gets a bad rap; we pride ourselves on thinking things through. But from an evolutionary standpoint, thinking everything through can be lethal. It's our ability to learn and make snap judgments that have allowed us to survive everything from grasslands to superhighways."
Having to think things through is something that I do a lot and it sometimes hinders my growth as an artist and activist. Sometimes overthinking leads to procrastination because you sit on a project for so long thinking it through and trying to make it perfect. However, making snap decisions leads to more information getting out even if it's not perfect.
Chapter 6 - Persuasion
"When people don't agree with us, and when they don't change their behaviors in the ways we'd like, we too often dismiss them as bull-headed, ignorant, or even stupid. We tell ourselves that they suffer from self-interest. And so we speak louder, get more insistent, but still they don't listen! Then, too often, we conclude that there's no point trying to convince those who don't agree with us and we give up."
Trying to convince people to help you is extremely complicated. It is important to not get discouraged or dismissive. It is also important to not give up as soon as there are people who don't listen to you. There are other ways to get people to listen to you in a way that is effective.
"Ideas and awareness are important. That's how people change their minds and then take action. One requires the other, and getting people to think and talk about an issue is absolutely critical. But if it stops there, and stays at the level of changed consciousness, then nothing is ever going to change.
When thinking of activism, it is not enough to just create a conversation. That is indeed the goal, but in order for real change to happen you will need to have real goals that involve action rather than conversation.
"Mapping the benefits and costs of the course of action we want to promote allows us to hone our message and create a range of pieces to emphasize different points. For example, once we've identified parents' needs to get their kids to school as an obstacle to cycling, we might address this by promoting child seats or bike trailers . . ."
This is such a great way of looking at things because it incorporates cause and effect and does something about it. It is also a great way to have a thorough fleshed-out idea of the issue of what needed to be talked about.
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