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Most people believe that changing someone’s mind comes down to better arguments, more facts, or stronger logic.

They’re wrong.

In this episode of Thinking 2 Think, M.A. Aponte breaks down the real psychology behind persuasion, influence, and belief change. You’ll learn why people resist new ideas, how identity and emotion shape decisions, and what actually causes someone to shift their perspective.

This is not about manipulation—it’s about understanding how thinking works in real-world conversations, leadership, and decision-making.

If you want to communicate more effectively, influence outcomes, and think at a higher level, this episode gives you the frameworks to do it.

Topics covered:

Why logic alone doesn’t change minds
The role of identity in decision-making
Emotional vs rational persuasion
The backfire effect and why more evidence can harden positions
How to influence without manipulation
Practical frameworks for real conversations
the 70-30 rule for listening versus talking
Identity-protective cognition and why belief challenges feel like attacks
question prompts that create change talk instead of defensiveness
Using SHIFT on ourselves to avoid turning beliefs into “religion”

The SHIFT method worksheet, including all five steps, the self-persuasion questions, and a conversation planning template, is available free on my Substack at maaponty.substack.com. The link is below in the podcast notes.
In order for you to be aware of it, please subscribe to Thinking to Think and subscribe for free at MySubstack.

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