You lay out the entire strategy—show them the playbook, spell out the tactics. Escalate strategically? It's right there in principle. Playing to an absent audience? Also a documented move. Yet nothing lands. They're not seeking clarity; they're seeking validation for whatever they already feel.

That's the gap nobody talks about. Data doesn't rewire emotional commitment. Facts bounce off conviction. And when people are locked into a narrative, they don't want proof—they want allies.

Most underestimate the cost of fighting entrenched positions. The other side isn't irrational; they're just operating on different information hierarchies. Knowing the playbook changes almost nothing if the audience has already chosen their script.