One of my favourite authors is Seth Godin. He does not write thrilling novels or long biographies, but he does write marketing/business books and articles that are insightful and meaningful.

In his book ROOTS, he has a saying that I have used consistently and regularly for many years. I usually pull it out when someone tells me they are not being heard, or don’t know how to move an opinion forward in dialogue.

Here it is – short and simple.

“People do not believe what you tell them. They might believe what their friends tell them. But they always believe what they tell themselves.” – Seth Godin.

If you want to move an opinion, change a mind, or challenge an assumption then you need to ask questions that help the hearer speak to themselves.