Thursday, October 28, 2004

hearts of persuasion

I'm raising my kids to think, to make their own decisions. Which means I can't force my seven-year-old daughter to try new foods by screaming at her or threatening punishment, two tried-and-true forms of persuasion. So I've tried every other psychological gambit I've learned during nearly three decades of adulthood -- all to no avail. Before I get a call from Dr. Phil, I'm not worried about my daughter's health, just her palate. She eats far better than I did at her age. My concern is how much time we spend – without really paying attention – on one end or the other of the persuasion tug of war. For those of us who live with families and work with others, we play this tug of war with the regularity and frequency of breathing.

My interest here is in what works, what doesn’t, and why. Including why we're so often persuaded to act in ways that are not in the best interest of ourselves, our families, and society. As a persuader by trade -- I'm a PR writer -- I want to explore what really makes us tick -- or tricked, or tricky -- these days and to note when powerful persuasion butts heads with our sense of right and wrong.

Contributions please! If you spot a peculiar tug, report on it. As I write this, I’m tempted to walk through the house and list how many things I possess that don’t contribute to a life well lived. But I just persuaded myself not to do that.