Claim: In any situation, the best way to persuade other people is to present them with facts and statistics rather than with emotional arguments. Reason: Facts are objective, so they are more persuasive than subjective appeals.

Even if you have a family member, a friend, or a loved one who you share many similarities with, you will inevitably find yourself at a crossroads with that person at least once in your lifetime. People's minds work differently, and in order to persuade others to agree with what you are in support of, the most effective tactic of persuasion needs to be utilized. When faced with this type of situation, some people say that the best way is to present facts and statistics, whereas others opt for targeting others' emotions. Each side does make a cogent case, but I believe that presenting facts and statistics are more powerful in all situations. Admittedly, because humans are emotional beings as well as intellectual beings, strong emotions can overpower even the most concrete evidence. With just the right amount of emotional influence, people can elicit what they desire from other people. Take, for example, getting on an overbooked plane. Usually, elderly people and families with young children are on the priority list when boarding. This means that healthy adults, usually men, are asked to take the next flight. For the men, telling the flight attendants that they arrived at the gate before anybody else, or that they have the least amount of luggage will not help their case. However, if they appeal to those in charge that they are returning home from months of separation from their families or that they have a terminally ill family member waiting for them whose condition has worsened, it is highly likely that exceptions will be made for them. A compelling dramatic story engages other people to feel sympathy, making the situation much easier for them to be persuaded. However, manipulating people's feelings should be done with caution, and often people have to explain their behaviors to other people who find the decision irrational. On the other hand, presenting facts and statistics is much more efficient because they are undeniable. It is difficult to refute objective data because they don't need to be explained; people look at them and instantly understand the costs and benefits that would follow. Take, for example, a meeting at a company to launch a new product. Before the project begins, each department will do their due diligence to find out the costs that would be incurred and how much revenue the product is expected to bring in. If the costs outweigh prospective profits, the project will be dropped. If, in any case, the project manager decides to disregard the facts and push forward with the project, then he or she will most likely have to answer to the shareholders, because this type of action does not make intuitive sense. On the contrary, if the project is cancelled based on the evident analysis, the shareholders will understand it was the optimal decision, even if many of them had been expecting the project to start. In conclusion, although emotional arguments can be persuasive at times, they don't stand as firm a ground as showing objective data. Using emotions to persuade someone means going over the apparent optimal decision, which means that later on the person who is persuaded will have to answer to others' disagreements. Also, objective data are in of themselves objective, and cannot be refuted, which allows people to persuade others with ease, and there is no room for debate later on. Therefore, utilizing objective facts is the mest method to persuade other people.