How to Coach Yourself and Others How to Influence, Persuade and Motivate | Page 376

We are persuaded by reason, but we are moved by emotion. Several
studies conclude that up to 90 percent of the decisions we make are based
on emotion. We use logic to justify our actions to ourselves and to others.
Take note that emotion will always win over logic and that imagination
will always win over reality. Think about talking to children about their
fear of the dark, or to someone about their phobia of snakes. You know it
is useless to use logic to persuade them that their thoughts and actions
don't make sense. They are still convinced that there is a problem.
This emotional pattern can also be seen in the way we buy and even in the
way we convince ourselves of something. Our heads see the numbers and
tell us to stick with a car that's more modestly priced, while our hearts see
the gleaming sports car, telling us to go home with a Jaguar. Our heads
tell us it's ridiculous to buy another pair of shoes since we already have
fourteen pairs. We may even realize that no one is going to notice or care
about the new shoes as much as we will. But our hearts win out, thinking
of all the stunning new outfits these shoes will go with, and we go home
with the new shoebox tucked under our arms. Our heads tell us not to
believe everything we hear, that politicians are a bunch of liars, but our
hearts are won over by their impassioned speeches.
Logic: What Stirs an Audience
Are we rational human beings? Do we follow all forms of logic? Do we
only act if it feels right? Do we even want the facts all the time? Have you
ever tried to persuade an emotional person with logic? We generally think
we make decisions based on facts, but truly this is not the case. It has been
found that when people agree with a particular message, they tend to
perceive it as being more logical or rational. On the other hand, when
people disagree with the message, they perceive it as an emotional
plea.[1] The truth is that that our decision-making process relies on a
mixture between emotion and i G2'F