Thumbing through my many years of blog posts on this site, I found that the two times I wrote about changing someone’s mind rate among my most popular posts. It appears that a lot of us are frustrated over how hard it is to convince others—family members, friends, or strangers whose opinions we know via social or other media—that our own views are the better ones.

A dear cousin of mine can no longer discuss newsworthy topics with her sister, as each of them inevitably gives up, saying to the other, “I don’t know how you can feel that way!” If only they were willing and able to explore which experiences led them to take up such divergent views.

I’ve discovered some fresh insights about this quandary in books by experts in a variety of fields. Whether your goal is mainly to engage more pleasantly with family over Thanksgiving, or to become better at influencing others in the wider world, here are some promising suggestions.

Start small. If you’re timid or not yet certain how to approach someone who........

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