The Pervasive and Persuasive: The Second Act

As I returned back to school in August toward my educational goals, I realized just what a luxury it is to have the time to explore the world through this blog. So although I have substantially less time available, I hope that you can benefit from my studious journey.  Along my path so far, I've spent some time exploring principles of persuasion.

I've always considered the current dichotomy of information as:  misinformation against good information. But I suggest that adopt a new lens through which to view it.

What if we shifted to seeing persuasive versus non-persuasive. Now, typically, the misinformation tends to have greater resources to push with more persuasive methods. For example, when Jenny McCarthy began a campaign against vaccines alleging a connection to autism. Or the 'doctors' who purport magical cures to illnesses like cancer. They tend to have more resources available for persuasive promotion as compared to the average scientist or science journalist who's power of influence lies mostly in information articles.

 But if the community of science, of reason, and of rationality were to employ persuasive tactics, the good information would be much more effectively spread. This would be the second act of the persuasive play, disbanding the monopoly of persuasive tactics for misinformation. Our purpose, as always, is to ensure that accurate information is presented without misrepresentation, but I propose that it can be presented persuasively without losing its integrity.

So without the resource of wealth, we can use our greatest and (usually) free resource, the internet. We can use it in persuasive ways. There are already famed voices on the side of reason, which is one beneficial element, but there are many more channels we must  use.

Comment with you ideas for persuasive tactics: