Politics and sports are a lot alike – every match-up ends up with a winner and a loser.
Although some of us like to “root for the underdogs,” most of us want to be on the winning side. Just like a sporting event stirs up feelings of allegiance, belonging, and intense competition, so, too, do political contests.
Politicians are masters at rousing emotions; they share their dreams in such a way that their dreams become our dreams. When we feel excited by the possible outcomes described by politicians, we become increasingly ardent in our efforts to make the now-shared dreams a reality. Painting a picture of how public effort will change personal worlds for the better makes us sold on what they are selling.
The best way to get people to take action is to touch their emotions and give them a cause worth fighting for. We want our candidate to win, because we want to win.
Competition takes us to a very primal place and, when candidates paint a picture of a dark and desolate future if they’re not elected, fear takes root and we begin operating from that point of fear. This can lead us to fight dirty if the fear is strong enough or if we are overly zealous in support of our candidate.
Emotional calls for action are usually more inspiring than listening to a litany of logic-based proposals. So, if you are trying to convince a friend to join your political team, aim for their heart and not their head.
I’m Suzanne Degges-White, and that’s my perspective.
