How Do You Convince Others You Are/They Can Make a Difference?

[Stephen Moseley]

It's a seemingly endless cycle. You've gotten to a place where you're doing all the big and small things you and yours can do to make the world a better place. And that's great... but how do you bring others along? Friends unaware of potential home energy savings. Family members driving aggressively. Neighbors throwing away everything and the kitchen sink.

How do we evangelize a better way for a better world?

[Sam Davidson]

Isn't a good example the best medicine? Sorry for the double-dose of cliches this morning, but I believe that people follow by what they see than simply by what they hear. So, we've got to make sure that we're first doing our part.

Then, when you've got your house in order, appeal to them based on what they value - teach them how to save money, why it matters for their kids, or convince them that LC would do it. Whatever works, I say.

[Kim]

Being a teacher, I believe that modeling behavior is probably the only way to influence others without turning others off to your ideas. We all know how it feels when someone overly zealous tries to convince us that their way is the only way. Then it becomes fundamentalism. That is how I approach religion as well. I can only live my life and it is my job as a teacher to show all the possibilities,so others can choose what works for them.

On the other hand, it infuriates me to how people unconsciously make choices that impact all our lives (driving, wasteful consumer consumption, environmental endangerment) and I do wish I could influence on a broader scale.

My final thought is we continue to model, and perhaps find ways of doing this on a broader scale by creating events that offer food, drink and information-like peace rallies and then as part of this event offer radical hospitality to anyone interested, rather than hitting others over the head with verbal assaults.

Kim

[Stephen Moseley]

Well said Kim... my mother was a teacher, and as I think back on how I was "parented," I never recall being beaten over the head... but can come up with countless memories of the example she put before me and my sisters... even in the mid-'80s one of my chores was gathering up the newspapers into paper grocery sacks and peeling the labels off 2 liter bottles for recycling... I didn't know then I was learning a lesson... I thought I was just doing my job... and today, w/ a 3-year-old, we're starting to figure out the hows of modeling such behavior for our daughter...

Kim said:

Being a teacher, I believe that modeling behavior is probably the only way to influence others without turning others off to your ideas. We all know how it feels when someone overly zealous tries to convince us that their way is the only way. Then it becomes fundamentalism. That is how I approach religion as well. I can only live my life and it is my job as a teacher to show all the possibilities,so others can choose what works for them.

On the other hand, it infuriates me to how people unconsciously make choices that impact all our lives (driving, wasteful consumer consumption, environmental endangerment) and I do wish I could influence on a broader scale.

My final thought is we continue to model, and perhaps find ways of doing this on a broader scale by creating events that offer food, drink and information-like peace rallies and then as part of this event offer radical hospitality to anyone interested, rather than hitting others over the head with verbal assaults.

Kim

[Steve Nixon]

Live by example - show others the efforts you're making and talk about the benefits. For me it's reducing my driving, shopping locally, joining a food co-op, recycling, and using my Cool People Care mug. The mug alone has led to many questions, and I've been happy to spread the word!

[Stephen Moseley]

That's great to hear... that's our hope as we roll more "things" out into the world in the way of product... provide conversation-starters and reminders for being cool through caring... glad the mug helps do that...

Steve Nixon said:

Live by example - show others the efforts you're making and talk about the benefits. For me it's reducing my driving, shopping locally, joining a food co-op, recycling, and using my Cool People Care mug. The mug alone has led to many questions, and I've been happy to spread the word!