“Everything
that irritates us about others
can lead us to an understanding of ourselves.”
Carl Jung (Swiss psychiatrist, 1875-1961)
Protocols for changing your friends' viewpoints:
Cajoling - "Talking them into seeing things your way."
The easier it is to do this, the less likely that it will "stick." That is, their new perspective will probably last until the next time they talk to someone else — Easily turned, easily returned.
Fear - "Put the Fear-Of-God into them."
Direct intimidation (fear of you) is actually a subset of Cajoling, and in fact, is one of its less effective methods (the effect can be dramatic and produce immediate conformance, but usually goes away as soon as you are out of sight).
But, FOG can be quite effective; especially for the young and inexperienced, and for one who has a lot of faith.
Money - "Money Talks."
Counter-intuitively, simple payment, "cash-on-the-barrelhead" if you will, is usually the quickest and cheapest way to change (for all practical purposes) someone else's viewpoint. Politicians have been known to pay for votes, not to mention the degree to which political contributions have influenced the political process. What makes this protocol the "cheapest" is that this can be perfomed with detachment — no personal bond need be formed and emotional "costs" can be nil for the payee as well as the payer.
One must broach this protocol with caution. Most people feel they must reject out-of-hand any offer of money either because it is frowned upon or because they feel like they have to act as if they were insulted. Why "caution" you ask: An initial offering can, in fact, be insulting if too low - too low not with regards to your friend's income, but with regards to what your friend THINKS you should be offering.
The feminine hauty, "You can't afford me!" is not a rejection, but a challenge — the opening line to commence negotiations.
The more forthright Cheneyism, "F*** Off!" is likewise a gauntlet thrown down, but negotiations tend to be more difficult. You may be winning if he invites you to go hunting.
- under development -