Page 74 - The Power to Change Anything

Change the Way You Change Minds 63

ous character he portrayed. Since the listeners had experi-
enced, right along with the faithful and devoted wife Tutu, the
actual emotions connected to her husband Mkwaju’s abusive
philandering (mirror neurons firing away), they did what a lot
of victims might have done under the circumstance—they tried
to get even with the lout who had wronged them.
This empathic reaction also explains why thousands of
television viewers and radio listeners around the world routinely
write letters to the characters in serial dramas and soap operas
thanking the characters for giving them hope or for teaching
them valuable lessons. In very real ways, these vivid stories cre-
ate vicarious experiences that become both intellectual and
emotional parts of the viewers’ lives.

MAKE STORIES WORK FOR YOU

Let’s review what we’re trying to achieve. To emulate the work
of influence masters worldwide, we’re trying to create changes
in behavior by helping people alter their mental maps of cause
and effect. When we find a way to change how individuals
think, they’re well on the way to changing their behavior.
Equally important, we’ve learned to limit our change targets
by aiming at two important maps that help people answer the
questions: “Will it be worth it?” and “Can I do it?” Change one
or both of these maps, and people change their behavior.
To help people come to a more accurate view of cause and
effect, we’ve argued that it’s best to set aside one’s preference
for verbal persuasion and to use methods that are far more
understandable, believable, and compelling than your standard
lecture or pep talk. This calls for the judicious use of actual and
vicarious experience. Finally, since most of us aren’t going to
be in the phobic-curing or radio-drama business any time soon,
we should become experts in the use of the most portable and
readily available map-changing tool around—the poignant story.