ssmoler
01-27-2008, 02:12 AM
Ron Paul Patriots,
We have to acknowledge that 99% of Americans have an opinion, informed or not, that has been crammed down their throat and unknowingly adopted as “their own”. The common American commits to a powerful source of influence, such as the special-interest MSM or the ignorant relative, to provide them with opinions. We have to acknowledge that for the common American, change is scary, the possibility that up is down is scary and the possibility that one could have been horribly mistaken is downright terrifying. We have to acknowledge that EVERY American at every moment in time considers him/herself RIGHT!
When dealing with people in real life, on message boards, on YouTube, anywhere – please realize that as good as it feels to win debates, as good as it feels to prove to someone that they are wrong and that you are right and as good as it feels to call X candidate stupid and Y pundit retarded (maybe not so directly) – please realize that you are actually accomplishing the exact opposite as to what you think you might be. No one wants to be TOLD why he or she is wrong. No one wants to be told why someone he or she likes is STUPID. Even if what you say isn’t as straightforward as that, if that’s the underlying message, it’s not working. RP's ideas might seem as obvious and natural as breathing NOW, but it's not the case for most people. Many years of irrational and uneducated thinking needs to be slowly removed from their mind.
Before you try and convince someone to RP, think about how you would react to your method if some random person came up to you, introducing a candidate you never heard of. Think of all the possibilities of the kind of person he or she might be and try and put yourself in his or her shoes. What’s it going to take?
People need to find things out on their own – and the best thing you can do is subtly guide them. When talking with someone, never seem like you’re trying to sell something. Remember, everyone’s favorite candidate is actually RP, they just don’t know it yet. If the person’s favorite candidate is X, say how you like X and that he/she is your second favorite candidate. They might start questioning you, and in responding be gracious, give the other person’s candidate some credit, but say where you think RP’s stances are better on topics the person might find important. When someone makes a point about his/her candidate, always agree or say why you thought that was true too with a BUT, never just straight out counter. We don’t need to tell the person why their candidate is wrong, just why RP is better; in some places maybe just a little bit, in other places by a lot. However, we don’t want to insult the persons intelligence by making them think they might have been stupid for liking X candidate at that moment in time. NEVER BE AGGRESSIVE (don’t be weak obviously, just don’t be overbearing). Be empathetic!
Once you think the person might have had enough, end with giving the person the option of “If you want to check him out”. Never tell them to do it or that they should. People like to think they are in control and like to have choices and no one wants to be told what to do, even if it’s as harmless as “you should”. They’ll be much more likely to check him out given these circumstances.
Everyone take a deep breath, realize the state the country is in and set the bar to zero. All the corruption, everything - it's all zero. From here on out change is only positive and everyone who opens their eyes isn’t someone that SHOULD have been loving liberty, but someone that now has realized it. No one is the enemy - everyone is a beautiful possibility.
(this is not written in the manner I described because RP supporters are not the average American and know how to read for content)
We have to acknowledge that 99% of Americans have an opinion, informed or not, that has been crammed down their throat and unknowingly adopted as “their own”. The common American commits to a powerful source of influence, such as the special-interest MSM or the ignorant relative, to provide them with opinions. We have to acknowledge that for the common American, change is scary, the possibility that up is down is scary and the possibility that one could have been horribly mistaken is downright terrifying. We have to acknowledge that EVERY American at every moment in time considers him/herself RIGHT!
When dealing with people in real life, on message boards, on YouTube, anywhere – please realize that as good as it feels to win debates, as good as it feels to prove to someone that they are wrong and that you are right and as good as it feels to call X candidate stupid and Y pundit retarded (maybe not so directly) – please realize that you are actually accomplishing the exact opposite as to what you think you might be. No one wants to be TOLD why he or she is wrong. No one wants to be told why someone he or she likes is STUPID. Even if what you say isn’t as straightforward as that, if that’s the underlying message, it’s not working. RP's ideas might seem as obvious and natural as breathing NOW, but it's not the case for most people. Many years of irrational and uneducated thinking needs to be slowly removed from their mind.
Before you try and convince someone to RP, think about how you would react to your method if some random person came up to you, introducing a candidate you never heard of. Think of all the possibilities of the kind of person he or she might be and try and put yourself in his or her shoes. What’s it going to take?
People need to find things out on their own – and the best thing you can do is subtly guide them. When talking with someone, never seem like you’re trying to sell something. Remember, everyone’s favorite candidate is actually RP, they just don’t know it yet. If the person’s favorite candidate is X, say how you like X and that he/she is your second favorite candidate. They might start questioning you, and in responding be gracious, give the other person’s candidate some credit, but say where you think RP’s stances are better on topics the person might find important. When someone makes a point about his/her candidate, always agree or say why you thought that was true too with a BUT, never just straight out counter. We don’t need to tell the person why their candidate is wrong, just why RP is better; in some places maybe just a little bit, in other places by a lot. However, we don’t want to insult the persons intelligence by making them think they might have been stupid for liking X candidate at that moment in time. NEVER BE AGGRESSIVE (don’t be weak obviously, just don’t be overbearing). Be empathetic!
Once you think the person might have had enough, end with giving the person the option of “If you want to check him out”. Never tell them to do it or that they should. People like to think they are in control and like to have choices and no one wants to be told what to do, even if it’s as harmless as “you should”. They’ll be much more likely to check him out given these circumstances.
Everyone take a deep breath, realize the state the country is in and set the bar to zero. All the corruption, everything - it's all zero. From here on out change is only positive and everyone who opens their eyes isn’t someone that SHOULD have been loving liberty, but someone that now has realized it. No one is the enemy - everyone is a beautiful possibility.
(this is not written in the manner I described because RP supporters are not the average American and know how to read for content)