Picture the following fantastical scene:
Venture capitalist John Hammond is having lunch with three scientists and one lawyer.
Behind Hammond, on the dining room walls, photos are flashing. They show different planned rides at Hammond’s future entertainment complex.
Hammond in opening a place called Jurassic Park. The three scientists are there to give their expert opinion on this project.
They have just seen their first live dinosaurs. It was an awe-inspiring experience.
So Hammond is expecting an enthusiastic endorsement. But then one of the scientists, a black-clad mathematician named Ian Malcolm, starts to speak.
“The lack of humility before nature that’s being displayed here staggers me,” Malcolm says. “Genetic power is the most awesome force the planet’s ever seen. But you wield it like a kid that’s found his dad’s gun.”
Malcolm goes on to explain the root cause of the problem. Success came too easy… Hammond put in no effort to make this achievement… and that’s why he gives no thought to responsibility or consequences.
The other two scientists carefully agree. Hammond, they believe, does not realize the risks he is dealing with.
So what do you think happens?
Does John Hammond say, “By Jove, I hadn’t thought of it like that. I’ll have to give this more thought. In the meantime, let’s put the opening of the park on hold.”
Of course not. You’ve probably seen the original Jurassic Park movie, from which this scene is taken.
What happens is that Hammond listens patiently. He’s a bit surprised the scientists are not on his side.
But no matter. With a chuckle, he shrugs off their warnings. And he sends them on a disastrous tour of the park.
If you’ve been reading my site for a while, you know I’ve written about the persuasive power of analogies and the problem mechanism.
Well you get both in the scene above. “Like a kid that’s found his dad’s gun” is the analogy… “Success came too easy” is the problem mechanism.
And yet, no change of heart.
Because to a person like Hammond, who’s set enough in his current ways of thinking… no argument will be persuasive.
So what can you do if it’s your job to persuade somebody like that?
Simple. But not easy.
You bring out the T-Rex.
After the T-Rex eats the lawyer… and the velociraptors almost eat everybody else… Hammond finally has his epiphany. His park might be a bad idea. Life will not be contained.
Perhaps you’re wondering what my point is. So let me close with the words of Claude Hopkins:
“No argument in the world can ever compare with one dramatic demonstration.”
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