Lessons in Coalition Building: Balancing the Rider and the Elephant

Katie Hallen -- As a first-year undergraduate at the University of Virginia, I took a psychology class from a young professor named Jonathan Haidt.  Haidt, whose research interests largely focus on morality, was memorable in more ways than one. Being that he was easy on the eyes and ears largely forgave him for wearing the same green tweed jacket every single day of class.  Thanks also to him, I still mimic his shorthand for “morality” by circling the letter “m.”

Recently, I have been revisiting Haidt’s research via his new book The Happiness Hypothesis, which contains important lessons for us Washington policy and communications types interested in coalition building and campaign management.

In building in an army of supporters, we must grapple with the issues and messages that motivate them to join a cause.  If we are looking to change their behavior in some way, we must look beyond the politics of reason to the politics of emotion.  This is no easy task. 

Haidt uses a wonderful metaphor to describe how our brains are often torn between reason and emotion: the Rider and the Elephant.  The Rider, representing the rational side, has the reigns of the Elephant and is controlling his path.  But the Elephant is very large and from time to time easily overpowers the Rider and takes him down a different route.

Why is it that the rational side of the brain knows that we should not eat the second cookie but we almost always give in to the emotional craving?  Why is it that a white paper packed with compelling data persuades our logical selves to support a piece of legislation but our emotional side keeps thinking of our one friend Chip whose job could be impacted?  That’s the Elephant overpowering the Rider. 

“To understand most important ideas in psychology, you need to understand how the mind is divided into parts that sometimes conflict,” Haidt writes. “We assume that there is one person in each body, but in some ways we are each more like a committee whose members have been thrown together to do a job, but who often find themselves working at cross purposes.”

It’s an important lesson for coalition building and campaign management.  If we want people to join our cause, and if we are asking them to make a commitment, take action or even change their behavior – buy energy-efficient light bulbs, fasten the seat belt, vote for the first time, whatever it may be – we must be aware of the brain’s competing demands.

Brothers Chip and Dan Heath further explain the competing brain in their new book Switch, which I’ll discuss in greater detail in a future post.  For now, take a look at Haidt’s book and let us know what you think.

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i have also read books by Mr. Jonathan Haidt. Specially his book The Happiness Hypothesis. This book is very helpful in understanding the psychology of people and as well as our self. Like in chapter 6 that is Love and attachments, he says that "No one can live happily who has regard to himself alone and transforms everything into a question of his own utility; you must live for your neighbour, if you would live for yourself." How true this is. In my opinion this book is not a mere a self improvement book but a academic book in psychology. Any more chat on this book is welcomed guys.

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“Rather than automatically retiejcng the men as sexist oppressors and pitying the women, children, and servants as helpless victims, I was able to see a moral world in which families, not individuals, are the basic unit of society, and the members of each extended family (including its servants) are intensely interdependent.”I love how Haidt thinks he is being profound but actually just reverts to the typical liberal belief in the myth of the noble savage. He also sees in it a collectivist aspect which appeals to his socialist sensitivities. It’s all good as long as poor brown people are doing it; more liberal soft racism.This carries over into religion and the war on terror. This is why liberals love denigrating Christianity but can’t bring themselves to condemn Islam.“Democrats should think carefully, therefore, about why they celebrate diversity. If the purpose of diversity programs is to fight racism and discrimination (worthy goals based on fairness concerns), then these goals might be better served by encouraging assimilation and a sense of shared identity.”This guy is just now beginning to understand this concept? This is something conservatives have been saying as long as I can recall.

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[Yasmin Trammell]

Thanks also to him, I still mimic his shorthand for “morality” by circling the letter “m.”

[Susannah Foy]

I still mimic his shorthand for “morality” by circling the letter.

[Mozell]

Haidt, whose research interests largely focus on morality, was memorable in more ways than one. Being that he was easy on the eyes and ears largely forgave him for wearing the same green tweed jacket every single day of class. Thanks also to him, I still mimic his shorthand for “morality” by circling the letter “m.”