President Biden's call for unity in the wake of the assassination attempt on Donald Trump got me thinking. How can we create unity in our lives and our communities, and bridge the gaps between us? How can we "turn down the temperature" and reduce polarization and conflict?
The answer that came to me is a unique principle of persuasion. Specifically, Robert Cialdini has a seventh and lesser-known persuasion principle—aptly called Unity (2016, 2021). As he notes, this principle helps people to feel that others are one of us, and this we-ness establishes a relationship that maximizes favorable treatment. Sounds exactly like what we need in these difficult times, doesn't it?
Cialdini goes on to describe how unity can be created by being together and acting together with others. He also identifies some overlap with two other principles, Liking and Reciprocity. So, let's look at how we can put those into practice to make our lives and our world a better place for us all.
Cialdini (2016, 2021) shares that a major source of unity is our genetic relatedness to one another. We readily connect with others who look like us and have similar genetically influenced opinions (such as with political parties). Nevertheless, sharing things like a hometown or nation, not to mention the fact that we are all part of the human family, is a source of........