How not to persuade people over to your point of view?

Is there anything more important to human interaction than persuasion? 

There are probably a hundred million different books on the art of sales, the art of the deal, or more generically the art or persuasion. As someone who earlier in my life did everything from peddling vacuum cleaners door to door to selling high end diamond jewelry to the rich and famous... I know first hand that you could probably fill multiple libraries with all of the self help books that allow you to get ahead in the sales realm. 

What I can also tell you is that not one of those books would even have one single chapter devoted to the simple concept of telling people they are wrong, shutting down their objections, and ultimately demanding that what they are no longer allowed to speak if they disagreed with your sales pitch. 

What does this have to do with politics? Well pretty much everything if you want to know the truth. Politics (at least good politics) is driven by the ability to convince people not only that you have the best solutions to their problems, but that you have the ability to follow through. Moreover, in a climate where pretty much every political discussion is akin to a knock down drag out argument, the politicians that will come out on top (long term) are those who understand that the ability to persuade is probably their most important task. 

This is what makes the so called "cancel culture" so dangerous, so outrageous, and ultimately so destined to fail over the long term. Short term, they may be able to bully some people into submission, but you can never bully people into love or loyalty. The second you lose your hold on the leverage, you will lose your hold on everything else, because you never actually held the heart and mind of those you wish to control.

For example... there are still well over a hundred million people in this country (making up over half of the Republicans and Independents) who have questions about the 2020 election results. With the exception of Democrats (who have joined the "no fraud" alliance in lock step) there has been little reduction in this number over time. Nor is it likely that there will "be" any real reduction, other than people who ultimately will stop caring. The reason is that there is no actual attempt to convince anyone. Just an attempt to shut down disagreement from the narrative being painted in certain groups.

So you might get people to stop talking about or even to stop claiming it in mixed company. But what you will not do is stop people from believing it, because no attempt has even been made to do so. 

When I look at the younger politicians (such as AOC and her squad) I don't see politicians interested in convincing anyone that their views are correct. I don't even see politicians who look to discredit their opponents and their ideas, which has been the modus operandi in politics. What I see are politicians who are literally looking to "punish" those who disagree with them. Root them out. Label them. Make them uncomfortable. Try to get them fired. Ruin their lives for their disagreement with your beliefs.

We can go back through the history of this entire world. Every civilization, every empire, every country, every movement. I promise you that every single instance where intimidation and punishment of opposing views becomes the strategy, that were led by tyrants, dictators, and people with bad intent. History has never looked back on these movements with fondness.

On the flip side, if you look through history at the most popular and successful movements and societies, you will find that their leaders where popular with the people, were persuasive, and ultimately cared about (and allowed for) the opinions of everyone. When your cause is just and righteous, people will respond without having to be threatened. 

The sad part of our modern society is that we enter a crossroads where quite literally we have people who want to see our society turn away from the values of persuasion, freedom of expression, open communication, understanding, and tolerance. We have people who demand (as did most totalitarian regimes throughout history) that they and those like them know best and everyone else must be crushed. 

We are quite literally witnessing an attempt to fundamentally change the very fabric of what our country was founded on and how it behaved for 250 years, and turn it into the very failures we have witnessed throughout history.  

Only real question is what side are you on?