Ep. 323: The Psychology of Arguing on the Internet: Can you ACTUALLY change someone’s mind?

JonRobert Tartaglione, PhD, studies & teaches influence. He is a psychologist, behavioral scientist & the founder & CEO of a consulting practice called influence 51. In this episode, we unpack persuasion, perception & arguing on the internet and explore what it really takes to change someone’s mind. If you like this episode, you’ll also like episode 309: HOW DID THE MEDIA BECOME SUCH A BIASED, STRESS-INDUCING CIRCUS? Guest:https://www.facebook.com/jonrobert.tartaglione https://www.instagram.com/probablytat/ https://www.linkedin.com/in/jonrobert-tartaglione-ph-d-21b26770/https://x.com/PolPsyTat https://influence51.com/  Host:  https://www.meredithforreal.com/  https://www.instagram.com/meredithforreal/ [email protected]://www.youtube.com/meredithforreal  https://www.facebook.com/meredithforrealthecuriousintrovert  Sponsors: https://www.jordanharbinger.com/starterpacks/ https://www.historicpensacola.org/about-us/  00:00 — The question no one asks01:42 — Why this story matters now03:18 — Meeting JonRobert05:06 — What most people misunderstand07:02 — The moment everything shifted09:21 — How power actually works11:08 — Systems hiding in plain sight13:47 — When incentives shape behavior16:05 — Following the money18:12 — What surprised him most20:44 — The quiet pressure points23:01 — Where people lose agency25:26 — The illusion of choice27:58 — Why good people comply30:14 — This wasn’t accidental32:41 — How narratives get enforced35:09 — Who benefits from silence37:42 — The cost of speaking up40:06 — When resistance becomes personal42:33 — The moment of reckoning45:02 — Why fear is effective47:29 — The psychology underneath50:11 — How normalization happens52:46 — What history keeps repeating55:21 — The warning signs we ignore58:04 — This pattern feels familiar01:00:33 — When people finally notice01:03:07 — Why it feels overwhelming01:05:52 — Reclaiming critical thinking01:08:36 — What accountability would look like01:11:14 — The role of individual courage01:14:02 — Why hope isn’t naive01:16:41 — What comes next01:19:08 — The question listeners should sit with01:21:30 — Final reflectionsRequest to join my private Facebook Group, MFR Curious Insiders: https://www.facebook.com/share/g/1BAt3bpwJC/Follow me in all the places:https://www.meredithforreal.com/  https://www.instagram.com/the_curiousintrovert/ [email protected]://www.youtube.com/meredithforreal https://www.facebook.com/curiousintrovert