---
aliases: ["How Minds Change"]
Is A: Note
Author: "David McRaney"
Topics: ["[[topic-productivity-systems]]"]
URL: "https://example.com/how-minds-change"
---
# How Minds Change
*David McRaney*

McRaney explores the science of belief change -- why people hold the beliefs they do, why facts alone rarely change minds, and what techniques actually work when you want to help someone see things differently. The book covers deep canvassing (a technique where volunteers have extended, empathetic conversations with strangers), motivational interviewing, and the psychology of reasoning. The central finding is counterintuitive: the most effective way to change someone's mind is not to argue with them but to ask them to explain their reasoning, listen without judgment, and let them discover the gaps in their own logic.

This has profound implications for anyone in the content business. If you write a newsletter or create educational content, your instinct might be to present your strongest arguments and hope the logic speaks for itself. But McRaney shows that this approach often backfires, triggering the backfire effect where people dig in harder when confronted with contradictory evidence. Instead, the most persuasive content creates space for the reader to think through the problem alongside you. This is why "thinking out loud" writing -- where you show your reasoning process rather than just your conclusions -- tends to be more influential than polished arguments.

The SIFT framework (Stop, Investigate the source, Find better coverage, Trace claims) is also valuable as a personal epistemic tool. In an age of information overload, the ability to quickly evaluate claims before incorporating them into your worldview is essential. McRaney makes the case that intellectual humility -- the willingness to update your beliefs when presented with good evidence -- is not a weakness but a cognitive superpower. For a founder making decisions under uncertainty every day, this is a critical skill.

## Key takeaways

- Facts alone rarely change minds -- belief change happens through empathy, questioning, and self-reflection, not through argument
- Deep canvassing works by asking people to explain their reasoning and genuinely listening, which lets them discover inconsistencies on their own
- The backfire effect means that direct contradiction can actually strengthen the beliefs you are trying to change
- Motivational interviewing -- a non-judgmental, collaborative conversation technique -- is effective in professional, personal, and content contexts
- SIFT (Stop, Investigate, Find better coverage, Trace claims) is a practical framework for evaluating information quality
- People change their minds when they feel safe and respected, not when they feel attacked or condescended to
- Showing your reasoning process ("thinking out loud") is more persuasive than presenting polished conclusions

## How I apply this

- My newsletter writing style shifted after reading this book. Instead of presenting conclusions, I now walk readers through my reasoning process, including doubts and counterarguments. Engagement metrics improved noticeably -- readers respond more when they feel invited into the thinking rather than lectured at.
- In sponsorship negotiations and business conversations, I use motivational interviewing techniques: asking open-ended questions, reflecting back what I hear, and avoiding the urge to argue. This has made difficult conversations far more productive.
- I apply SIFT to every claim I consider including in my newsletter. If I cannot trace a statistic to a credible primary source, I do not use it. This has cost me some compelling anecdotes but built long-term trust with my audience.

## Related

- [[ai-wont-replace-thinking]]
- [[writing-for-clarity-vs-writing-for-credit]]
- [[b2b-content-is-trust-not-traffic]]
- [[newsletter-growth-is-about-trust]]
- [[note-thinking-fast-and-slow]]
- [[note-never-split-difference]]
- [[note-the-courage-to-be-disliked]]
- [[topic-content-strategy]]
- [[topic-writing]]
