Do you think it’s possible to change someone’s mind on social and political issues?

In this deeply divided, polarized political situation we find ourselves in, while it may seem impossible to some.

But to Robert Perez, change is possible, and it’s only a matter of time.

And it does not involve yelling, or telling, or shaming, or outing.

****True Snacks is a bite-sized learning excerpt from the full What Do You Know To Be True? podcast episode. To watch the full episode: https://whatdoyouknowtobetrue.com/video/strategies-for-changing-hearts-and-minds-heartwiring-with-robert-perez  ****

As Robert says, it requires listening and understanding someone’s values, experiences, and emotional needs.

Robert acknowledges that it’s hard work, and yet it’s worth it because change is possible and it’s worth it.

Robert Perez, the Chief Exploration Officer at Wonder Strategies for Good, has been crafting strategic communications for social justice and progressive organizations for over 30 years. He’s been equipping people to arrive at a shared understanding of the solutions that make progressive social change happen.

In this episode, Robert shares his superpower of Heartwiring – the ability to identify the emotions, identity, lived experiences, values and beliefs of others whose support you need, and then craft messages that untie the psychological knots that people find themselves in.

As Robert explains, where there’s a little daylight between those factors, between what someone has been told to believe and what they’ve experienced and what they feel, that’s the space where change is possible.

“Heartwired” is a strategy guide that Robert and his colleague, Amy Simon, wrote in 2017 to help change makers better understand the audiences they are working with and how to build stories and messages that invite them to engage differently in the issues at heart.

Former FBI Hostage Negotiator, Chris Voss, (author, “Never Split the Difference”) talks about the value of “tactical empathy” to show the other person you understand what’s in their head and the rationale behind their actions.

Robert’s Heartwiring approach takes this further and acknowledges what’s in person’s heart, and entrusts them to use their values and experiences to make a different choice.

In this episode, Robert answers the following questions:
- How do you change someone’s mind?
- How do you communicate with someone with different political views than you?
- What are the factors that change someone’s position?
- What is the role of empathy in political discourse?

“True Snacks” is a series of excerpts from the "What Do You Know To Be True?" podcast. The purpose behind this series to share some of the key learning moments from the podcast.

Music in this episode created by Ian Kastner.

"What Do You Know To Be True?" is a series of conversations where I speak with interesting people about their special talent or superhero power and the meaningful impact it has on others. The intention is to learn more about their experience with their superpower, so that we can learn something about the special talent in each of us which allows us to connect more deeply with our purpose and achieve our potential.

For more information about the podcast or to check out more episodes, go to: https://whatdoyouknowtobetrue.com/

"What Do You Know To Be True?" is hosted by Roger Kastner, is a production of Three Blue Pens, and is recorded on the ancestral lands of the Duwamish and Suquamish people. To discover the ancestral lands of the indigenous people whose land you may be on, go to: https://native-land.ca/