While people have wildly different views on the proper role of government, most would agree that coercive laws should at least be a last resort. If we can change someone’s behavior without using threats of violence, great, but if we can’t, well, then it’s time to call the politicians.This position raises an important question that doesn’t get as much attention as it should: what exactly are the other options we can resort to before using coercion? If we agree coercion should be a last resort, it's incumbent upon us to first thoroughly explore and exhaust other possible means of changing someone’s behavior. Yet so often it seems we fail to do this and instead take our problems straight to the ballot box.So, in an effort to at least minimize the number of times we ask the government to get involved, here are four ideas for non-violent ways to influence other people’s behavior.
