How to Win Hearts and Minds

If you like and believe in the benefits of Liberty and it's economics effects as prescribed by Austrian Economics, you'll find that sometimes people will challenge your views. One thing we must avoid in engaging debate is telling people what is right, but show them how to get to our conclusion. To achieve this one must fully understand the logical path to get to these conclusions, or planting the seed to change ones mind will be very difficult. This is the method I used in my book, methodically going step by step rebuilding the Austrian framework for someone who's never heard it or any economic framework before.

Other Tactics:

- Don't tell people they are wrong, challenge them with questions

- Point out the holes in their knowledge so they are made curious to fill them

- Never assume or give the impression you assume your knowledge is complete

- Show how their values are consistent with your conclusions (being a valueless theory, it's easy to show how any value set benefits from a valueless economic framework)

So again, the goal is not to win debates but to raise questions that'll plant the seed that may grow into a pursuit of knowledge in someone. Although, sometimes it's fun and therapeutic to rant and rave about those crazy keynesians.

- Alex Merced