Reply #19: Yes! Yes! Spread the ideas in any form you like. Lift bits. Whatever. [View All]

[pat_k]

Yes! Spread the ideas around in any form you like. Lift bits. Whatever.

We are all trying to bring about change in the public realm and need all the tools we can get our hands on to succeed. I think others will find these ideas valuable and i would love to see them spread far and wide.

Insanity is doing the same thing over and over expecting a different result. For those that feel like they have been banging their head against the wall, the belief/knowledge people model provides different way to look at things. Whether or not it reflects a basic reality, it suggests adjustments in the way we communicate and where we focus our efforts. When you have been banging your head against a wall, it is usually worthwhile to try something new.

When contending with a widely-held belief that is destructive to the public interest, the operational theory suggests that we do not need to focus much effort on the people that are currently holding fast to that belief. It suggests we need to identify and target people that are receptive to an alternative that serves the public interest. (There are plenty of people standing on the sidelines or on the fence out there.) The theory tells us that, even though we do not target them directly, more and more misguided folks will jump on the "beneficial belief" boat as that belief spreads or achieves an "everybody knows" status.