{"id":79321,"date":"2022-09-10T12:16:00","date_gmt":"2022-09-10T16:16:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.shortform.com\/blog\/?p=79321"},"modified":"2022-09-23T09:52:53","modified_gmt":"2022-09-23T13:52:53","slug":"how-to-bring-about-change","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.shortform.com\/blog\/how-to-bring-about-change\/","title":{"rendered":"How to Bring About Change: Lessons From Biology &#038; Chemistry"},"content":{"rendered":"\n<p>Do gun buyback programs work? How did Barack Obama accelerate his 2008 presidential campaign?<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/www.shortform.com\/blog\/why-change-is-hard\/\">Change is hard<\/a>. But, <em>The Great <a href=\"https:\/\/www.shortform.com\/blog\/increase-focus\/\">Mental Models<\/a> Volume 2<\/em> provides two models from science that can help us initiate and accelerate change in our own lives and even in the world around us. Authors Rhiannon Beaubien and Shane Parrish discuss what we can learn from incentives and catalysts.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Keep reading to learn how to bring about change in yourself and others.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<!--more-->\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\" id=\"h-making-change-easier\">Making Change Easier<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p>Various factors make it hard to accomplish change. In some cases, simply being aware of these factors can help us adjust them. Likewise, <strong>there are other principles we can capitalize on that serve to encourage and even accelerate change<\/strong>\u2014these are <em>incentives<\/em> and <em>catalysts<\/em>. Let&#8217;s look at how understanding these forces can help us learn how to bring about change.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\" id=\"h-incentives\">Incentives<\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p>Beaubien and Parrish explain that, when we\u2019re aiming for change on a personal or social level, it\u2019s crucial to understand <em>incentives<\/em>\u2014the factors that shape our behaviors by rewarding or punishing them. The authors explain that, biologically, <strong>we\u2019re so sensitive to incentives that just the <\/strong><strong><em>hope <\/em><\/strong><strong>of a reward or the <\/strong><strong><em>fear <\/em><\/strong><strong>of punishment can dictate how we behave<\/strong>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Though incentives are key to survival (for example, they teach us to seek out food and avoid danger), Beaubien and Parrish point out that they frequently go wrong. For one thing, many <strong>behaviors have short-term and long-term consequences\u2014and, if we don\u2019t notice the long-term consequences, we have a hard time making the best choices<\/strong>. For example, if it\u2019s bedtime, but you\u2019re stuck into a Netflix binge, the short-term rewards of watching another episode or two might easily outweigh the long-term effects of not getting enough sleep.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>(Shortform note: Our ability to weigh incentives is further complicated by anticipation. In <a href=\"https:\/\/www.shortform.com\/app\/book\/atomic-habits\/\"><em>Atomic Habits<\/em><\/a>, Clear argues that <a href=\"https:\/\/www.shortform.com\/app\/book\/atomic-habits\/chapter-5#scientific-relevance\">the brain is wired to experience more pleasure from <em>craving<\/em> something than from actually <em>having<\/em> that thing<\/a>. This makes sense from a biological perspective\u2014if we only felt pleasure from <em>eating<\/em> food, we might not have enough motivation to <em>obtain<\/em> food in the first place. Unfortunately, this extra weight on anticipation makes it hard to judge just how rewarding a behavior actually is. As Judson Brewer argues in <a href=\"https:\/\/www.shortform.com\/app\/book\/unwinding-anxiety\/1-page-summary\"><em>Unwinding Anxiety<\/em><\/a>, <a href=\"https:\/\/www.shortform.com\/app\/book\/unwinding-anxiety\/1-page-summary#step-2-analyze-your-behaviors-and-their-results\">our brains do a poor job separating a behavior itself from all the ancillary factors (like anticipation) surrounding the behavior<\/a>.)<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Similarly, Beaubien and Parrish point out that <strong>poorly designed incentives can lead to undesirable behavior<\/strong>. For example, gun buyback programs\u2014where police offer cash in exchange for unwanted or illegal weapons, no questions asked\u2014are intended to reduce crime by removing guns from circulation. But, in practice, <a href=\"https:\/\/www.independent.org\/news\/article.asp?id=2128\">these programs often lead to absurd results<\/a> such as gun dealers turning in large numbers of weapons for a profit or criminals turning in guns and using the proceeds to buy better ones. (Shortform note: This phenomenon is known as <em>perverse incentives<\/em>, and it affects everything from <a href=\"https:\/\/www.forbes.com\/2009\/02\/19\/incentives-compensation-bonuses-leadership_perverted_incentives.html?sh=2555a6b05b3b\">economic policy<\/a> to <a href=\"https:\/\/besjournals.onlinelibrary.wiley.com\/doi\/10.1111\/1365-2664.12398#:~:text=With%20the%20creation%20of%20an,that%20actually%20worsens%20the%20problem.\">environmental law<\/a> to <a href=\"https:\/\/www.nyulawreview.org\/issues\/volume-79-number-3\/the-perverse-incentives-of-the-no-child-left-behind-act\/#:~:text=Specifically%2C%20the%20Act%20unintentionally%20encourages,taking%20jobs%20in%20challenging%20classrooms.\">education<\/a>.)<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>In short, Beaubien and Parrish suggest that you should be cautious about incentives\u2014<strong>take a close look at what\u2019s motivating your behavior and determine whether that motivation lines up with your long-term goals and values<\/strong>. The authors argue that exercising this caution will lead you to <a href=\"https:\/\/www.shortform.com\/blog\/make-better-decisions\/\">make better decisions<\/a> and make you less likely to be manipulated by others, such as advertisers and politicians.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>(Shortform note: On the positive side, you can use carefully chosen incentives to encourage behaviors that <em>do <\/em>line up with your goals and values. For example, Clear suggests <a href=\"https:\/\/www.shortform.com\/app\/book\/atomic-habits\/chapter-7#reinforcements\">linking desired behaviors with small rewards<\/a>\u2014for example, if you want to cut your caffeine consumption, then every time you skip going to the coffee shop, you could stick the money you would have spent into an account dedicated to buying something you want (say, a new video game). Doing so gives you a new incentive\u2014whenever you feel tempted by the coffee, you\u2019ll remember your video game fund and have an easier time choosing your intended behavior.)<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\" id=\"h-catalysts\">Catalysts<\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p>Whereas incentives can help you direct behaviors to <em>initiate<\/em> change, Beaubien and Parrish argue that <strong>catalysts can <\/strong><strong><em>accelerate<\/em><\/strong><strong> change at the social level<\/strong>. They explain that, <strong>in chemistry, a catalyst is a substance that increases the rate of a chemical reaction<\/strong> without being consumed itself by the reaction. For example, when left to its own devices, hydrogen peroxide (H<sub>2<\/sub>O<sub>2<\/sub>) slowly decomposes into water and oxygen\u2014a reaction so slow that H<sub>2<\/sub>O<sub>2<\/sub> is readily available for disinfecting and other applications. But, if you add manganese dioxide (MnO<sub>2<\/sub>) to H<sub>2<\/sub>O<sub>2<\/sub>, the MnO<sub>2<\/sub> greatly accelerates the reaction, causing the oxygen to bubble off quickly, leaving behind just water and unchanged MnO<sub>2<\/sub>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Beaubien and Parrish argue that chemical catalysts such as MnO<sub>2<\/sub> are metaphors for factors that accelerate social change. For example, <strong>some technologies work as catalysts by offering new ways of spreading ideas and mobilizing them into action<\/strong>. During his 2008 presidential campaign, Barack Obama and his team used relatively new social <a href=\"https:\/\/www.shortform.com\/blog\/internet-platform\/\">media platforms<\/a> (Facebook was only three years old) to raise funds and spread grassroots enthusiasm for his candidacy.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Likewise, Beaubien and Parrish say that <strong>influential people can serve as catalysts by making new ideas or behaviors more attractive by association<\/strong>. For example, former U.S. First Lady Jacqueline Kennedy Onassis is credited with popularizing a number of fashions that became trends in the 1960s and 1970s.&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>(Shortform note: In practice, new technologies and influential people often go hand-in-hand. In <a href=\"https:\/\/www.shortform.com\/app\/book\/crossing-the-chasm\/1-page-summary\"><em>Crossing the Chasm<\/em><\/a>, Geoffrey Moore argues that new technologies often die because they <a href=\"https:\/\/www.shortform.com\/app\/book\/crossing-the-chasm\/1-page-summary#the-gaps-in-the-technology-adoption-life-cycle\">appeal to a small group of early adopters, but never catch on with a larger customer base<\/a>. To appeal to this larger customer base, Moore argues that you need to <a href=\"https:\/\/www.shortform.com\/app\/book\/crossing-the-chasm\/chapter-6\">use your reputation with early adopters and major product vendors<\/a> to convince potential customers of your product\u2019s value. In this case, the <a href=\"https:\/\/www.shortform.com\/blog\/early-adopters-model\/\">early adopters<\/a> and vendors serve as catalysts for your product\u2019s wider success. Though Moore\u2019s discussion is specific to product life cycles, we can infer that a similar principle applies to the adoption of new ideas (such as political or social movements).)&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>As Beaubien and Parrish point out, in each of these cases, <strong>social catalysts don\u2019t <\/strong><strong><em>cause<\/em><\/strong><strong> change that wouldn\u2019t have happened otherwise\u2014instead, they <\/strong><strong><em>accelerate <\/em><\/strong><strong>change that\u2019s already underway<\/strong> (just as MnO<sub>2<\/sub> accelerates the reaction H<sub>2<\/sub>O<sub>2<\/sub> is already undergoing). In other words, Obama capitalized on an existing trend toward progressive politics and Kennedy\u2019s clothes took deliberate influence from established French styles. In both cases, however, the catalyst arguably caused the change to happen faster and more effectively than it would have otherwise.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-table\"><table><tbody><tr><td><strong>How To Catalyze a Social Movement<\/strong><br><br>In <a href=\"https:\/\/www.shortform.com\/app\/book\/the-tipping-point\/\"><em>The Tipping Point<\/em><\/a>, Malcolm Gladwell argues that you can deliberately use social catalysts to help <a href=\"https:\/\/www.shortform.com\/blog\/spread-a-message\/\">spread a message<\/a> or a movement faster than it would spread on its own. Gladwell identifies <a href=\"https:\/\/www.shortform.com\/blog\/three-types-of-people\/\">three types of people<\/a> who function as social catalysts:<br><br><a href=\"https:\/\/www.shortform.com\/app\/book\/the-tipping-point\/chapter-2#connectors-people-with-strong-social-networks\"><strong>Connectors<\/strong><\/a><strong> <\/strong>are people who have numerous acquaintances across a variety of social circles. If you get a connector on your side, your message will spread to more people faster, including people you might not have been able to reach on your own.<br><br><a href=\"https:\/\/www.shortform.com\/app\/book\/the-tipping-point\/chapter-2#mavens-people-who-are-always-in-the-know\"><strong>Mavens<\/strong><\/a> are respected for their expertise and judgment. If a <a href=\"https:\/\/www.shortform.com\/blog\/malcolm-gladwell-maven\/\">maven<\/a> promotes your cause, people are more likely to listen than if \u201cjust anyone\u201d repeated the message.<br><br><a href=\"https:\/\/www.shortform.com\/app\/book\/the-tipping-point\/chapter-2#salesmen-the-great-persuaders\"><strong>Salesmen<\/strong><\/a> excel at persuading others. If they support your message, they\u2019ll be able to convince other people to support it\u2014and act on it\u2014as well.<br><br>Gladwell\u2019s point is that if you\u2019re trying to instigate social change, getting one or more of these personality types on your side will catalyze your cause. Similarly, he suggests that you <a href=\"https:\/\/www.shortform.com\/app\/book\/the-tipping-point#the-stickiness-factor\">make your message \u201csticky\u201d\u2014that is, memorable and actionable<\/a>\u2014and <a href=\"https:\/\/www.shortform.com\/app\/book\/the-tipping-point\/chapter-4\">alter the social environment to make it more likely that your message catches on<\/a>. This latter suggestion in particular is similar to Beaubien and Parrish\u2019s suggestion to make change easier by reducing friction.<\/td><\/tr><\/tbody><\/table><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<p><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Do gun buyback programs work? How did Barack Obama accelerate his 2008 presidential campaign? Change is hard. But, The Great Mental Models Volume 2 provides two models from science that can help us initiate and accelerate change in our own lives and even in the world around us. Authors Rhiannon Beaubien and Shane Parrish discuss what we can learn from incentives and catalysts. Keep reading to learn how to bring about change in yourself and others.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":9,"featured_media":79324,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paid_content":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[9,24],"tags":[748],"class_list":["post-79321","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-psychology","category-society","tag-the-great-mental-models-volume-2","","tg-column-two"],"yoast_head":"<!-- This site is optimized with the Yoast SEO Premium plugin v24.3 (Yoast SEO v24.3) - https:\/\/yoast.com\/wordpress\/plugins\/seo\/ -->\n<title>How to Bring About Change: Lessons From Biology &amp; Chemistry - Shortform Books<\/title>\n<meta name=\"description\" content=\"Two models from science\u2014incentives and catalysts\u2014can help you learn how to bring about change in yourself and others. 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