Dear friends,

I become wary when I’m using multiple reasons to convince myself, or to be convinced, to do something.

Why am I trying so hard?

Cognitive dissonance occurs when your mind tries to rationalize a situation to fit your preconceived notions. An anxious mind generating lists of pros and cons feels ungrounded in the reality of what is, not what I wish were the case.

In contrast, when I feel certain that something is right, I need only one reason to do it. “This feels right.” More a clarity of emotion than a reason.

Calm.

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Sure, getting to that calm, single focus can take a lot of mental effort.

In trying to understand something, I can generate a lot of reasons that don’t feel right in the end, until I find the one that does. Turning over multiple reasons to do or not do something can, in the end, find the one right reason. Keeping in mind the principle of being suspect of many reasons helps me let go of things.

What about other applications, such as reasons given in explanation, or persuasion?

When I read a “listicle” with the 17 reasons why Hillary Clinton lost the 2016 election, it feels like the author lacked a central thesis and tried to make up for it by coming up with lots of them.

What about the salesperson and their 12 great reasons why I should buy their product? My experience is that I need one of those reasons to match my needs and I’ll buy. A salesperson will develop better rapport if they tune more before taking up a customer’s time.

Do I take my own advice?

As a first-time candidate for State Rep this year, I was introducing myself to voters. Many said they wanted a sense of my life story. I gave them a sentence each on several areas of my life, and a list of key issues.

I shared the same website and flyer with thousands of residents so I wanted to give people a sense of how I think about things. I’m both a father and a Selectboard member, but each will resonate differently with different people.

In the end, I would guess that most needed only one reason to vote for me, such as my party affiliation or if they liked me. I would also guess that most voters have one most important issue, and either choose based on that or how a candidate thinks overall, knowing that it’s inevitable they will disagree on some things.

One reason is either enough, or not. Don’t assume that more reasons gives you more reason. At best, more options give you options to find the right one.

***

What are your thoughts on reasons? Comment below, or shoot me a note at tristan@tristanroberts.org.

In appreciation,

Tristan Roberts
Vermont

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Roberts' Green Letter

#23: More reasons don’t give me more reason.