Mindstuck

Mastering the Art of Changing Minds

Amplify, 2023

15 min read

8 take-aways

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What's inside?

Learn why people get “stuck” in their thinking, and how to inspire them to change — even the most stubborn.

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Changing minds isn’t easy — even when it’s your own. According to change strategist Michael McQueen, that’s because every human possesses two minds — the “Inquiring Mind ” and the “Instinctive Mind.” The latter one is less rational and tends to run the show. Drawing on insights from a variety of disciplines, McQueen unpacks core factors that shape people’s beliefs. He offers practical tools you can use to sharpen your powers of persuasion, and help “mindstuck” colleagues, friends, and family members embrace new points of view and push back against the modern trend of hyper-polarization.

Summary

People get “mindstuck” when their thinking becomes rigid due to mental inflexibility or overwhelm.

If you want to influence people to change their minds, it helps to know why so often they don’t. Even when people possess knowledge that should cause them to change their minds — and even when they want to adopt a new view or opinion — they can find it difficult. This state of being “mindstuck” doesn’t reflect any lack of intelligence or insight, but rather mental inflexibility — rigidity in thinking that can obstruct good decision-making. Being exposed to an overwhelming volume of information, as people are today, can exacerbate this condition and lead individuals to rely on their gut instinct or tribal thinking.

In today’s hyper-polarized world, stubborn adherence to pre-existing opinions has become endemic. And as a result, the ability to influence others’ decision-making has become an increasingly sought-after skill.

The human brain has two modes of thinking: slow and logical, and fast and instinctive.

Initial responses and ideas become rigid due to the way the brain functions, which is less reason-based than many people think. The brain has two primary...

About the Author

Michael McQueen is a change strategist, an award-winning speaker and the author of 10 books, including The New Rules of Engagement, Winning the Battle for Relevance, and How to Prepare for What’s Next.

Michael McQueen