making people understand

[Fohlss]

How do I get people to understand that socialism is best for them? Its hard convincing people to do the right things. Just wondering if you guys have any good tips on how to get people to understand how good socialism is.

[ArrowLance]

To me it seems many people are immune to any rational approach. So take a more emotional approach.

[Pogue]

How do I get people to understand that socialism is best for them? Its hard convincing people to do the right things. Just wondering if you guys have any good tips on how to get people to understand how good socialism is.

Education through struggle. Working class people learn through everyday struggle, so engage people in politics relevant to them - workplace struggles, community issues (housing, anti social behaviour) and they will see why our ideas are materially beneficial for them. Every revolution in history has been based upon this, and its the only way to build for a future one.

[Pirate turtle the 11th]

Although this may be obvious , be friendly it seriously accounts for just as much as a well placed argument.

[Manifesto]

To me it seems many people are immune to any rational approach. So take a more emotional approach.
Tried that by saying children are starving to death every few seconds and they could not give two shits if thats what you mean by emotional approach.

[Sean]

Tried that by saying children are starving to death every few seconds and they could not give two shits if thats what you mean by emotional approach.
Well you see thats just moaning at them and trying to shame them into socialism. I can see why you're not having a lot of luck, that approach is more likely to yield a clip on the jaw. You're not telling people what's in it for them, you're just preaching how wrong they are. Honey, vinegar, flies etc.

[scarletghoul]

When I talk politics to people I usually approach it from the situation they face, and the issues they are complaining about. Instead of making some abstract argument about political shit, try to make sense of the real tangible problems that people are interested in. For example when people complain about people sponging off benefits, I explain how its because there's no dignity in labour. When people complain that all political parties suck, I explain that its because society is always run by the capitalist class. Apply scientific socialist analysis to peoples' concerns. The rage is already there, it just needs to be rationalised.

edit: and CJ is quite right, being friendly helps too.

[Manifesto]

Well you see thats just moaning at them and trying to shame them into socialism. I can see why you're not having a lot of luck, that approach is more likely to yield a clip on the jaw. You're not telling people what's in it for them, you're just preaching how wrong they are. Honey, vinegar, flies etc.
Well I have tried that approach too but my friends are a bunch of upper middle class white kids that are all apathetic so it is hard to find a situation for them.

[Kwisatz Haderach]

It depends entirely on the kind of people you're talking to... The only general advice I could give you is to try to find something that these people love, and that socialism would promote - and talk to them about that thing.

Do they worry a lot about their children's future? Talk about how socialism guarantees everyone an education and a job.
Do they worry about their own future? Mention the full employment aspect of socialism again, and talk about how socialism is likely to allow everyone to take an early retirement as well.
Are they interested in social equality for all people regardless of race, gender, or sexuality? Socialism will provide that too.
Do they live in a bad neighborhood? Explain to them how socialism will greatly reduce crime rates (by eliminating poverty and making money laundering impossible, for example).
Do they care about the environment? Tell them that socialism represents conscious popular control over the economy, and this enables the people to make everything as "green" as they want it to be. There are no profits in socialism, so there is no incentive to cut costs by polluting.

And so on and so forth. I bet most people love something that would be greatly improved or promoted by socialism.

[ArrowLance]

Tried that by saying children are starving to death every few seconds and they could not give two shits if thats what you mean by emotional approach.

I'm saying that if you walk up to them and explain to them their exploitation and its properties, and start quoting out of Das Kapital, you are going to hit a brick wall in 90% of listeners. By emotional I mean make it personal, bring in more soft evidence.

[Stranger Than Paradise]

Make it relevant to them. Relate to things that have happened to them in their life and explain why Socialism works in their favour.

[Pogue]

Again just trying to guilt trip them or 'convince' them with the power of words alone acheives ntohing but to people already so inclined towards leftist ideology.

We have countless tales of people on here lamenting how when they preach no one wants to listen, and surely thats obvious because its not really an interesting thing to listen too. It just doesn't work, so stop trying to be a martyr or become our 504230th person to come onto here saying something like 'they are all so stupid' et etc because you should expect this.

Honest to god just leave them to it, or just be your normal friendly self and hope it catches on, no one likes the commie preacher, trust me i learnt this too late

[chegitz guevara]

You cannot make people understand.

You can only try and guide them. I find a particularly effective way is using the dialectical method, i.e., asking people questions until they come to the answer you want them to have. This method has the advantage of not telling people the answers, but having them come up with the answers themselves, which will make a bigger impact.

[Pogue]

You cannot make people understand.

You can only try and guide them. I find a particularly effective way is using the dialectical method, i.e., asking people questions until they come to the answer you want them to have. This method has the advantage of not telling people the answers, but having them come up with the answers themselves, which will make a bigger impact.

I can imagine you're a right laugh to talk too.

[Oneironaut]

I think that part of the bigger problem especially in the US is that people generally tend to view themselves as consumers above anything else. Consuming is the highest good for many, even if that means they work longer hours as opposed to taking more leisure time. Moreover, consumers have absolutely no idea what is good for them. We are constantly manipulated to think that we need this or that and we don't even know in many cases what we actually want. If everyone identifies themselves as consumers, class identity goes out the door and all that matters is gaining status by what car you drive, your clothes, etc. This makes the job of educating people much more difficult about socialism, especially when you constantly get responses back about how much they like their "things" and will gladly spend extra hours at work just to have more things.

I usually try to emphasize when I talk to my co-workers the forced exploitation of our work place. Keep things close, talk about how the managers jerk off all day and can fire us at any moment. I usually emphasize how there is a stack of applications and the bosses can just get rid of us without a thought or concern.

[Manifesto]

I'm saying that if you walk up to them and explain to them their exploitation and its properties, and start quoting out of Das Kapital, you are going to hit a brick wall in 90% of listeners. By emotional I mean make it personal, bring in more soft evidence.
Well I do not do that they practically force the argument so I just want to convince them that Communism is not evil or impossible and I've tried logically and used facts so they are impossible I guess.

[rhys]

You need, to convince people, to get them involved in action of some sort. In school, for instance, try getting rid of bullying - the authorities always say tut-tut but do nothing: show why, and how you can achieve it. Start pushing for better equipment, facilities and so on and explain why you don't get them. Your own particular situation will suggest ways that you could face taking. Oh - and a good technique when arguing - always argue with the stupidest and most aggressive opponent who won't actually beat you up and let him/her convince the audience negatively by insulting you - while you are all sweetness and light, aiming at the characters in the back row. After a while it growns on you!

[Jimmie Higgins]

Education through struggle. Working class people learn through everyday struggle, so engage people in politics relevant to them - workplace struggles, community issues (housing, anti social behaviour) and they will see why our ideas are materially beneficial for them. Every revolution in history has been based upon this, and its the only way to build for a future one.

Exactly. Also, learning through struggle teaches people how to be radicals and leaders of their own movements.

If there is an anti-war group where you are or if you are working and there is a union, then you can work with them as an open radical and then your arguments are actually relevant because radically generally have a better understanding of how the system works (just in the fact that we have an understanding of class whereas liberals and reformists don't) and what tactics are necessary to win. Also if people are not in struggle and are not asking the questions to themselves like "why has racism not ended" "is there an alternative to the staus quo" and so on, then our answers to these questions are irrelevant.

You can talk till you are blue in the face about how the cops are not neutral in society and are there to repress workers and uphold the interests of the ruling class, but until someone is on a strike or at an anti-fascist rally and they see this in action. Even liberals I work with in anti-police brutality coalitions tend to want oversight-comitties to "get rid of the bad apples" but if you make the radical arguments and then they see it in action on a picket line or at a protest, it will cut through all the years of ruling class propaganda about cops.

In other words, radical propaganda and agitation are both important in winning people to radical politics. Making the arguments is important (because if no one hears the radical argument, they will not be able to make the connections to their lived experience) and getting involved in struggle and learning how to lead, how to deal with the officials, how to deal with liberals who try and hijack movements, how to make arguments, and how to win is equally important.

[chegitz guevara]

I can imagine you're a right laugh to talk too.

I've been in a pissy mood on RevLeft recently. I have little tolerance for arrogant idiots.

[Radical]

Point out the fact that over 50% of the world live on less than $2 a day. Also point out that 90% of the worlds wealth is concentrated inside the 10% richest part of the population.

[amandevsingh]

Facts like Radical's, while true, matter little to most of todays population. They don't care about others, the system has made it that way, we will have to relate it to them (As basically everyone has said thus far.)