In addition to considering what audience members’ beliefs are, you need to take the intensity of their beliefs into account. You’ll be more likely to persuade your audience members if you avoid threatening their core beliefs. A core belief is a viewpoint that is held closely, often for many years. Such beliefs are particularly immune to persuasion—especially as a result of a single speech.21

A peripheral belief is a viewpoint that is held not quite as closely or as long as a core belief. People may form peripheral beliefs by hearing a news report, reading a book or magazine, or listening to a statement made by a political or religious leader. These beliefs are more open than core beliefs are to change by a persuasive message. Thus, you can boost your chances of success if you focus your appeal on your listeners’ peripheral beliefs.

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For example, suppose you want to persuade various groups of people at your college to spend one Saturday morning working on a campus beautification project. You first address the Parkour Club, whose members usually practice their sport on Saturday mornings. (Parkour is a physical activity that involves getting past obstacles efficiently using skills like running, climbing, and jumping rather than walking around them.) If you argue that parkour is a pointless activity, you probably won’t gain volunteers because you’d be attacking a core belief. On the other hand, the tradition of practicing on Saturday morning is more peripheral. You would have a better chance of winning these listeners’ support if you said that devoting one Saturday morning to doing something to benefit the campus community would be a worthy cause—and that club members could practice afterward.