The high-ground maneuver

Here’s a persuasion tactic to use or at least be aware of when it’s being used on you. The technique is common, but the name and this example come from Win Bigly, by Scott Adams, the creator of Dilbert.

It’s called the high-ground maneuver, and it works when you “frame yourself as the wise adult in the room, forcing others to join you or be framed as small thinkers.” For example:

“As Mayor, you didn’t do enough to end street violence.”

“I agree. Luckily, We have learned a lot since then. A number of cities experimented with different approaches and some work better than others. Let's try to find the best practices and see if we can spread them to other cities.”

If the person responding to this attack were to debate the criticism, they would slip into the “child” frame. By fully embracing the criticism of the other side, they instead become the “adult.” By making the case for learning and improving, they move to the high ground and leave the children behind.

The listener now has a choice.