Good morning!
Grab some coffee and get ready to learn about one of the most effective displays of persuasion in history. This is the story of how a Rabbi persuaded the Japanese to save them from the Nazis!
In the 1930’s the German government made it clear that the Jews were not welcome. As a result, a lot of European Jews fled.
Not many countries opened their borders to Jewish refugees, but a few did. Ironically, one of the few countries to do so was Japan, a country allied with Nazi Germany. In the 1930’s tens of thousands of European Jews found refuge in both Kobe, Japan and Japanese-held Shanghai.
In 1941, the Nazis made it an official wartime priority to exterminate every Jew in the world. The destruction of the “Jewish race” became an official policy of the Axis (Germany/Italy/Japan) alliance.
In 1941 the Germans sent Colonel Josef Meisinger of the Gestapo to Tokyo to press the Japanese government on this policy. Meisinger infamously earned the title “The Butcher of Warsaw” for ordering and overseeing the violent execution of over 1700 Polish Jews in 1939.
Upon his arrival in Japan, the Nazi pressed the Japanese leadership to adopt a policy of brutality towards the Jewish refugees. He ensured them that he was happy to help in constructing and implementing such a plan, and suggested measures such as death camps, medical experiments, and even mass drownings at sea.
The Japanese leaders heard Colonel Meisinger out, but never took him up on his sadistic offer. They had already made their decision based on 6 words spoken by a rabbi a few months prior.
Persuasion: the art of influencing someone to do or believe something.
About 6 months before Colonel Meisinger arrived in Tokyo, two rabbis met with the Japanese High Command for a meeting with high stakes: the fate of over 25,000 Jews. The two rabbis were Rabbi Moses Shatzkes, a renowned Talmudic scholar, and Rabbi Shimon Kalisch, who was known for his ability to understand basic human psychology.
Upon their arrival, the Japanese High Command challenged them with two pointed questions:
Why do our allies the Nazis hate you so much? And why should we take your side against them?
Rabbi Shatzkes was speechless, but Rabbi Kalisch had a calm reply: “Because we are Asian. Like you.”
A recess was abruptly called for the leaders to confer, and some of the Japanese are said to have smiled at Rabbi Kalisch’s response.
The Japanese wanted to maintain the integrity of their wartime alliance, but Rabbi Kalisch had pointed out something the even more fundamental: the fundamental Nazi ideology rested on the superiority of a blonde-haired, blue eyed race of Northern Europeans.
The Japanese and the Jews were both permanently excluded from the Nazi ideal of the “Master Race.” An end to the war would never change this fact, and the Japanese leadership knew it.
Upon the resumption of the tribunal, the most senior official stood and gave the rabbis their verdict:
“Go back to your people. Tell them we will provide for their safety and peace. You have nothing to fear in Japanese territory.” And so it was.
How did it take just six words to convince the Japanese to go against the wishes of (and possibly anger) their wartime allies? The answer is in the power of unity as a tool of persuasion.
Rabbi Kalisch knew that an intellectual debate would not turn out favorably for his people because the Japanese objectively had more to lose by allowing the Jews to live.
With this in mind, he found an implicit, common ground with which to unify the Japanese and the Jews, and received a gut decision from the Japanese in response.
Not only did the Japanese spare the Jewish refugees for another day – they gave them a personal guarantee of safety.
Unity: the power of “we”
Unity is one of the most powerful persuasive devices that we have at our disposal. Humans naturally feel an obligation to whoever they consider to be in their “group.”
From a genetic perspective, this concept of obligation to others within our group applies specifically to our biological family. Humans naturally want to see their genes passed down, and as a result will be inclined to advocate for and support their family.
However, the ability to leverage this type of commitment from people is not limited to those who are in the same genetic group. In fact, it can apply to any group.
So what kind of existing or perceived relationships maximize the favorable treatment of fellow members? The answer requires a subtle, but crucial distinction.
The relationships that lead people to favor another most effectively are not those that allow them to say, “Oh, that person is like us.” They are the ones that allow people to say, “Oh, that person is one of us.”
Unity is not about similarities, but shared identities. In addition to family, this can take the form of groups based on factors such as race, ethnicity, nationality, organizations / societies, politics, and religion.
This is a principle that is actually fundamental to how the military is able to work. For example, on a submarine you will have people with different backgrounds, ranks, interests, beliefs, and jobs. Fellow crew members may be different in nearly every way, but they work well together and look out for each other because everyone present shares an identity as a submariner.
The story of Rabbi Kalisch convincing the Japanese leadership to circumvent Axis policy and protect the Jewish refugees is a demonstration of this power of “we.”
The Japanese were persuaded to consider their shared identity of not being a part of the German master race. Rabbi Kalisch included the Jews in the Japanese officials’ sense of “we,” and earned the protection of the Japanese High Command as a result.
TL;DR
In one of the most brilliant showcases of persuasion in history, six words from a rabbi convinced the WW2 Japanese High Command to break with their Nazi allies and protect 26,000 Jewish refugees.
The strongest bonds are formed when we consider someone else to be in our same group. It’s not a matter of considering someone to be similar to us, but considering someone to be one of us.
In terms of persuasion, if you can get your counterpart to consider you to be a part of their “we”, then they will be more open to considering your interests and what you have to offer.
The art of persuasion has less to do with presenting logical arguments than you think, and that fact impacts you every day.
Do you want to understand how to use the superpower of persuasion, or continue getting duped because you think logic drives our decisions?
Robert Cialdini is a master of influence, and in his fascinating book Pre-Suasion he shows you everything you don’t know about how persuasion works on you and how to use that knowledge to tactfully (and ethically) influence others.
Trust me when I say that even if you somehow didn’t learn at least one thing from the book, you would at least be enthralled with the stories Cialdini tells to illustrate the principles of influence and persuasion like the one told here.
Thanks, and have a great day!
Cooper