How to effectively change someone else's opinion

During our life, we are faced with a variety of situations when we feel the need to change someone's opinion about something.

When someone resists changing their opinions about something, it will not necessarily mean that these people are stubborn or irritable, but may simply mean that their belief system contains something that prevents them from believing you.

In order to be able to change someone else's opinion about something, you need to understand how these people think, what they believe, and how you can put your idea into their belief system with minimal resistance.

Step-by-step guide to change someone else's opinion:

• Drop the bomb. Begin by expressing your argument directly, clearly and briefly. For example: "What you did yesterday was wrong."


• Draw a map of defense lines in your mind. As soon as you speak out against someone’s beliefs, people will start arguing, offering many excuses for their actions. At this moment you must be silent, listen and remember what they say. As in many other cases, listening is crucial to success. These arguments are called lines of defense, because as soon as you penetrate into them, it will be easy for you to change a person’s opinion.


• Debunk their arguments, one by one, in the same order. The mistake of many people in trying to convince others is that they are too focused on the main thing, not realizing that if they could get rid of many of the arguments of the opponent, the path for conviction would be immediately opened. Do not try to seize the castle with one blow, go around from the side, soldier after soldier, until you are ready to make a big hole in the wall.


• There may be new arguments and this is normal. If you have successfully coped with the refutation of all the proposed arguments, a person can dig a little deeper and find a couple more arguments in their favor. At this point, you should not lose hope, but rather to understand that what you expose really works. They end up with arguments, and they resort to using strategic reserves.


• Answer the final arguments. You must again respond to the opponent’s last arguments, giving him valid reasons that prove him wrong.


• Repeat your opinion, and it's done. As soon as they answer you: “I don’t know” or “I’m not sure”, repeat your main idea again many times, and they will believe you. For example: "you know what's wrong, why did you do it?"

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Some things that can help you change someone else's opinion:

Of course, this process is not so simple, and you will not be able to convince someone that their arguments are not true unless you sound convincing. This will not happen if you:

• Be realistic. No one will believe in something willy-nilly. Your point of view should be based on reality. No matter how many times you repeat your opinion, if it is not based on truth, no one will buy it.


• Prepare in advance / offer solid evidence. As in many other cases, preparation is key. Among other things, another person needs stronger evidence than what he himself has to believe you.


• Confirm your arguments with facts. Use statistics, numbers, research results, or even quotes from authoritative figures to sound more convincing.


• Use public evidence. Allow the person to understand his wrongfulness, setting as an example many other people with opposing convictions. The theory of public evidence is based on the fact that at the time of confusion, people tend to stick to what most do.


• Repeat. The more you repeat your arguments, the more convincing they become. If you manage to attract a friend who also confirms your arguments, then the likelihood of changing the opinions of others is much higher.

In conclusion, changing one's opinion consists in removing all the obstacles that people hold in their belief system, one by one, and then repeating their ideas again and again.

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