Dealing With Certainty

One of the hardest things to do in communication is changing someone's mind that is already made up. We all encounter people like this, particularly, at times, since we are that way, too. They are absolutely certain of what thy say, think and/or believe. Even dropping a stick of dynamite in their cereal bowl won't dissuade them from their certainty. They know what they know and that is all their is to it. As a way of explaining this mind-set that all of us adopt at various times, in 1957, American psychologist Leon Festinger introduced  his theory of cognitive dissonance, which stated people will not believe a message contrary to their attitudes and opinions unless one can introduce information that causes them to question their beliefs.


This means it is simply not enough for others to argue back at someone wrapped in the cloak of their certainty without having facts to support their own claims and perspectives. In other words, for communicators to be able to successfully persuade others to their point of view, they must do research and then put forth their information in a manner in which others can understand and, at least initially, be receptive to. There are few things more immovable than a person with a solid opinion. However, that person can be swayed if presented with information to which they can relate and in a manner that is not threatening or insulting.


According to Festinger, dissonance can be presented in three ways: the communicator makes their public aware things have changed; the communicator provides information about the new developments; and the communicator utilizes respected sources that the public trusts. Given these steps, however, this is not to suggest being persuasive is easy; nor is the use of facts and trusted sources always successful. At the same time, without these elements, there is little chance one can and will be persuasive. No attempt to communicate meet has a 100 percent success rate. But one needs to be well informed to come even close.