Ali Anani, PhD
Ali Anani, PhD
ou own an
idea that is housed
in your mind for
long times
You are in peace with this idea
Then… Somebody walks in with a conflicting idea
What would happen?
Rejection
Cats sounds a good metaphor
ats
Will the two cats adapt
their opinion, revise their
beliefs, or change their
behavior as a result of
social interactions with
each other?
Will the opinions of the two interacting cats converge or split over repeated interactions?
And so, Will the two interacting ideas in my head come to peace with each other or will they have a battle in my head?
Bringing the two cats together is a recipe for conflict
The intensity
of fight
shall depend
on
The intensity of fight shall depend on
The age difference between the two cats, their persona and if they are of the same sex or not
or example, if
you bring two
female cats they
shall pair up better
than two males
because males
have instinct to
fight
ats and
motions
The intensity of fighting shall depend on the emotional status of the cats.
ats which
are stressed tend to
be more aggressive
Imagine ideas are like cats in your head
If a person is stressed with an
idea and is not sure about it,
bringing a new idea in his/her
head shall cause a fight
between the two ideas
Persuasion in this case will be difficult
Plantation of
ideas in a
stormy head
is not a
good
exercise
Persuading troubled and very hesitant minds is futile
Bringing ideas from two different cultures shall lead to their hissing and growling in my head
Bringing ideas together abruptly shall only lead to anxiety and confusion
So, what to do?
So, what to do?
What can we learn
from cats?
By: preparation, separation and familiarization
Keep the two cats in separate rooms; mingle both cats' scents on a washcloth (by rubbing the cloth on their fur) and place the washcloth next to their feeding areas. Observe their initial encounters to help the relationship advance smoothly
So, don’t mix ideas right away. Keep them separate. Look for the “joint scent” between them and share it among parties
How about having a picture of the two cats together? Share the photo so that both cats may see it
Cats move their attention to toys. So, giving two cats a toy might distract their direct angry attention to each other
ata
t
Toy
Create a joint enemy. Bring a third cat for a short time. The two cats have now a shared interest
This way the resistance of the two cats to accepting each other decreases
Two conflicting ideas- then find a shared enemy for both and the benefits of acceptance emerge
Find a common thread between your idea and the other side’s idea. A third idea that appeals to both parties to establish common understandings.
Never assume. Watch for trouble signals
Upon encounter, one cat or both might give signals of discomfort such as flattening its tail or spitting
Avoidance strategy works best. Separate the two cats for a while. Keep repeating this “encounter” till signals of refusal wane out
If you wish to persuade somebody with your idea remember your are adding a cat (idea) to his head. The struggle of cats starts
Gradual acceptance Keep away your idea from the other person. Keep repeating that till signs of refusals disappear.
Living with a new person or a new idea is similar in that both need to accept the unfamiliar object to become familiar. So, what applies to a cat living with a cat also applies to a man sharing his mind with a new idea. All are accommodation processes
If your customer wants a blue suit then turn the blue light. If he wants it green then turn on the green light
The journey from
Reject Persuade Accept
May benefit from the way cats move from rejection to accepting each other
Great Addition from Jeff Washburn
The picture follows. Enjoy