One of the most powerful keys to inspiring internally motivated change is hiding in plain sound.
Here’s what I mean.
The “If–Then” Foundation
Just about everything we do is based on causality (Sloman, 2005).
A simple pattern: If this happens, then that will happen. When X is true, then Y will follow.
This underlying reasoning is called a Theory of Action—the logic behind why someone thinks or acts the way they do. That’s why the most effective calls to action follow this form, or one very similar:
IF you want X, THEN do Y.
But here’s the catch: that logic alone is not enough.
The Quiet Part Beneath the Logic
Underneath every “if–then” statement is something deeper: a warrant.
Yes, like a “search warrant” or saying something is “warranted.” In this case, a warrant is the unsaid justification—the belief about how the world works that connects the evidence to the claim.
For example:
- Claim: IF you want to raise your sales, THEN sell to people over 50.
- Evidence: BECAUSE there are more people over 50 than under 30.
But evidence is just data—and data without inherent meaning, at that. The only meaning data have is the meaning we give it. That’s what a warrant describes: the reason, the principle, why we see that evidence as meaningful.
- Warrant (implied): The more people there are to sell to, the more possible sales you can make.
Do you see the difference? Evidence and data are much easier to dismiss, especially if the warrant remains unsaid. But warrants are almost always endoxa—concepts most people agree with, regardless of culture, politics, identity, etc.
Here’s the problem: if you don’t state the warrant, you leave it up to others to guess what it is. That’s not only super risky, it’s often where, and why, agreement breaks down.
Why Warrants Matter
Research shows that the most persuasive cases for change are explicit—not just about the evidence, but also about the beliefs behind why that evidence matters (O’Keefe, 1997, 1998). The more complete the argument—including its warrants—the more sense it makes to others, and the more convincing it is.
That’s why at the Message Design Institute, the Core Case (ITBA) framework is built on explicit warrants (in the form of endoxa), so that they’re always there to support and explain any data and evidence you choose to present with it. It makes the belief-based logic clear, so people can understand, align with, and integrate it into their own worldview.
When you say the quiet part out loud (the warrants!) you invite agreement. You’re giving people full and valid information so they can make a free and informed choice. And yes, close readers, this is what Chris Argyris and Donald Schön would call Model Two thinking (Argyris et al., 1985), and which I refer to as Deliberate Thinking.
Belief-based warrants are the sound system amplifying every argument for change. Once you can hear, start to listen for them, you’re more likely to hear them, both in yours and in others’ messages.
What This Means for You
- Listen for warrants. When someone gives you evidence but not the “why,” notice what’s left unsaid.
- Ask for the why. People may not articulate them easily or well at first, but probing helps reveal someone’s deeper reasoning and meaning-making.
- State your own warrants. The more clearly you express your warrants, the stronger and more persuasive your case for change becomes.
The real power in your message and storytelling isn’t just in the data and examples you share, but in the beliefs you use to justify your view. It’s those beliefs that drive alignment and agreement, and help someone else justify adopting your story or strategy as their own.