Greater Good Magazine: Five Ways to Respond to People Who Don’t Want the COVID-19 Vaccine

People are lining up to be vaccinated against COVID-19—and they’re looking forward to resuming a normal life. However, not everyone is on board with vaccination. It may help to provide information addressing someone’s concerns from an unbiased resource, such as the Centers for Disease Control or the World Health Organization. Though not everyone will be open to that, those who are may appreciate the straightforward information. Alternatively, if you feel your friend or family member trusts you to give them the straight story, you may want to summarize findings rather than provide detailed studies. However, overwhelming them with too much information could backfire. When presented with multiple counterarguments to their strongly held views, people tend to take on an adversarial stance, spending energy poking holes in your thesis, says researcher Adam Grant. It’s probably better to point someone to one strong argument rather than a slew of scientific studies. Read more at Greater Good Magazine.