Becoming a Better Messenger of Liberty

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When talking to non-libertarians about libertarianism, especially online, there’s a temptation to flood them with suggestions of literature that they could read or videos they could watch that will explain the concepts we’re discussing. The intentions behind this are generally good. There are brilliant economists, philosophers, and writers who can usually articulate our ideas better than we can, so pointing non-libertarians to such resources will give them a chance to hear them expressed clearly and eloquently.

However, this isn’t necessarily the best way to go about it, at least initially. When we’re talking to someone, there’s a human connection that’s hard to replicate through printed or digital works. Some talented people can make such a connection through their creations, but that doesn’t always happen. A lack of connection is even more likely if the work is around a complicated subject with which most people are unfamiliar. Further, talking to someone in person allows us to ask them about things that are important to them and gives them plenty of time to talk. Most works about liberty talk about abstract ideas and don’t have much of a human connection at all, so directing people to these works instead of talking to them does them a disservice and makes them less likely to want to hear your ideas.

Think about talking to people about liberty as if you’re trying to grow a tree. First, you’ve got to prepare the soil. This is where you introduce yourself and get to know them a bit. Not everyone is going to be receptive to the message, and if you come across someone like that, it’s best to move on and look for someone who is receptive.

When you do find someone who’s willing to listen, then you can plant the seed. At this point, you can really delve into the philosophy behind liberty, talk about some of the ways that liberty will make their life better, and answer any questions they might have. If they’re still interested at the end of your discussion, then you can water the seed and give it nourishment by pointing them toward short articles and videos that can build on the foundation you’ve created for them. Over time, through checking out these resources and continuing to interact with you, their knowledge and understanding of liberty will grow and flourish.

As they continue searching, they’ll likely have even questions and concerns about some of the things they discover. When they get to this point, they’ll be ready to check out books that can help provide them with even deeper understanding of the philosophy of liberty, either as a whole or in specific areas. This, along with their continued discussions with you, can help trim away uncertainty, like pruning a tree’s branches so that it can be even more prosperous.

Winning people over to libertarianism is a lengthy process, and it’s easy to become impatient if your audience doesn’t accept or understand the philosophy right away. The best thing to do, though, is to be patient and treat them as well as possible. “How to Win Friends and Influence People” by Dale Carnegie is an excellent book, especially for people who are naturally shy or reserved, that has helped countless people increase their confidence, get better at talking to other people, and become more persuasive when presenting their ideas.

One of the best things any advocate of liberty can do to become more effective at spreading liberty is to take a page from the late Harry Browne, in particular his thoughts on selling libertarian ideas and his libertarian New Year’s resolutions from 1998. As far as messengers of liberty go, few have been as warm, friendly, and good at talking to people and relating the message of freedom to them as Browne. Accordingly, learning from him and the other amazing messengers in the liberty movement such as Larry Sharpe can greatly help us all in spreading the message of freedom and freeing the world.