Dr. Hameiri's research quoted by the BBC

How to politely and productively disagree

By Christian Jarrett, 15th October 2020

The second approach you could try is the “paradoxical thinking” technique being developed by psychologist Boaz Hameiri, now based at Tel Aviv University, as a way to moderate people’s views about the Israeli-Palestinian conflict. The philosophy behind this approach is based in part on “motivational interviewing” – a form of therapy that helps people find the willingness to change and overcome addictions and other problems. The basic idea is that rather than confronting someone’s beliefs head on, you present them with such an extreme, absurd version of their own beliefs – for instance, through leading questions – that they willingly reconsider and soften their original position.