Apr 25, 2023 5 min read

The Paradox of Persuasion: Why Less Can Be More, and More Can Be Less

Hey There,

Are you tired of presenting a long list of reasons to support your argument, only to have the other person poke holes in your weakest points? We've all been there. But what if we told you that less is actually more when it comes to persuasion? In our previous article, Adam Grant shared in his book "Think Again" that having a long list of supporting points can actually weaken your argument. It's called the dilution effect, and it's a well-documented judgment bias. The idea is that weaker arguments dilute stronger arguments, and irrelevant or weak arguments tend to reduce the weight of the overall argument. So how can we apply this to our everyday lives? Let's dive into the paradox of persuasion and discover why less can be more, and more can be less.

How does listing more side effects make a prescribed sleeping pill less threatening?

Let's start with an example. Imagine you are suffering from insomnia and are being shown two versions of an advertisement for the same sleep aid drug.

Version 1: A TV drug ad for a sleep aid that only lists the two serious side effects - heart attack and stroke.

Version 2: Another ad that lists all of the side effects, including the two serious ones, and a bunch of minor ones such as itchy feet and a runny nose.

Now, here's a quick question for you: which version makes you more cautious and less likely to buy? Interestingly, it turns out that version 1 arouses more attention from the audience.

This is actually a real-life study conducted by Niro Sivanathan, a professor at the London Business School, and published in Nature Human Behaviour. The study found that people who were exposed to both major and minor side effects of a sleep aid rated the drug's overall severity to be significantly lower than those who were only exposed to the major side effects.

Version 1: only lists the two serious side effects - heart attack and stroke

Version 2: lists all of the side effects, including the two serious ones, as well as minor ones such as itchy feet and a runny nose.

This might sound counterintuitive, but version 1 actually leads to a stronger argument. Put yourself in the shoes of the audience: are you more likely to be convinced by a few strong arguments or by a barrage of weaker ones? The answer is clear. The interesting about our brain is that: weaker arguments actually dilute stronger arguments. It’s a well-documented judgment bias called the “dilution effect.” In other words, when we try to convince others by presenting them with all the arguments we have, we actually weaken our case.

Our arguments don’t add up, they averages out.

The reason the dilution effect occurs is due to the law of averages, says Sivanathan. When we take in information, we give each piece a weighted score. Strong arguments get a higher score than weak arguments.

So assume you want to prove that Lionel Messi is GOAT in football and we give

Ballon d'Or Wins: Messi has won the Ballon d'Or award for the world's best player a record 7 times (2009, 2010, 2011, 2012, 2015, 2019, 2021). (95)
Golden Shoe Awards: Messi has won the Golden Shoe award (given to Europe's top scorer) a record 6 times. (95)
37 Club Trophies: Messi has won 37 club trophies in his career, including La Liga (the top professional league in Spain) 10 times with Barcelona. (90)
Playing with top clubs in his career: Barcelona and Paris Saint-Germain (65) → a lot of top players play for these two clubs right?
Getting one of highest salaries in the Industry: 31M Euro per year (55) → top players get a competitive salary but that doesn’t prove Messi the GOAT

Ok, you might think all these points added up to make a 400 marks argument, but in fact, we don’t add up all of those scores. We average them. So interesting, if we keep all the points, it’s a 400/ 5 = 80 marks argument. But if we only keep the top 3 arguments, the argument worth 280/3 = 93 marks.

Be Discipline about your pitch

Here's the secret: be disciplined and concise. Don't try to include everything, but instead focus on the key points that will be most persuasive to your audience. Imagine you have 10 reasons why your company could be the next Uber. Instead of presenting all 10, consider chopping away at least 7 of the weaker ones to create a more impactful and persuasive presentation.

Remember, when it comes to persuasion, strong arguments are like a powerful punch that lands with impact. Weak arguments, on the other hand, are like a flurry of weak jabs that don't do much damage. So, make sure your arguments are focused and impactful, and don't dilute your message with weak or irrelevant arguments.

Whether you're trying to convince a client, your colleagues, or your friends and family, keep the paradox of persuasion in mind: less can be more, and more can be less. Cheers to crafting more compelling arguments and winning more debates!

Cheers,

Sherman

Things that I found interesting this week:

📚 Book — Diversity Bonus by Scott E. Page

I recommend this book to you since I know you might be interested in learning about diversity and its impact on decision-making. The book, Diversity Bonus, is written by Scott Page, a prominent scholar in the field of social sciences. The book explores the paradox of diversity, which is that diverse groups can often make better decisions than homogenous ones. The author argues that diversity can lead to better problem-solving, creativity, and innovation. This book is perfect for those who are interested in social sciences, psychology, and decision-making, and those who want to expand their knowledge of diversity and its impact on society.

🎬 Video — What if your arguments don't add up? by Niro Sivanathan

I come across this really cool video on persuasive speaking and debating, and I want to share it with you. The video talks about how less can be more in debating, and how focusing on the most important arguments can lead to a clearer and more persuasive message. It's the video that inspired me to write my latest article on the paradox of persuasion, which I hope you'll enjoy. The speaker, Niro Sivanathan, provides some great insights and tips on how to effectively communicate your message, even if you have fewer arguments than your opponent. I highly recommend giving it a watch!