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# Saumitra Jha on why he changed his mind about climate change, and unexpected tricks that work to reduce polarization
- URL: https://www.opendemocracy.net/saumitra-jha-on-why-he-changed-his-mind-about-climate-change-and-unexpected-tricks-that-work-to-reduce-polarization/
- Published: 2026-06-17T10:48:29.000Z
- Updated: 2026-06-18T14:02:24.000Z
- Author: The Depolarization Project
- Tags: Interview, 'Changed My Mind', podcasts, Saumitra Jha

[Listen on Apple Podcasts](https://podcasts.apple.com/gb/podcast/changed-my-mind/id1441157722?ref=opendemocracy.net) [Listen on Spotify](https://open.spotify.com/show/58KNTFlSOFhEMQZ03jRrDf?si=031996902e2d4822&ref=opendemocracy.net) [Listen on Pocket Casts](https://pocketcasts.com/podcast/changed-my-mind/84182ff0-6484-013d-7b54-0ef99577e22d?ref=opendemocracy.net) 

In a political climate dominated by echo chambers, media polarisation, and democratic backsliding, how do we actually get people to change their minds?

In this episode of *Changed My Mind*, we’re joined by [**Saumitra Jha**](https://www.gsb.stanford.edu/faculty-research/faculty/saumitra-jha?ref=opendemocracy.net), professor of political economy at the Stanford Graduate School of Business. Citing financial experiments in Israel, Palestine, and post-referendum Britain, Professor Jha shares both historical insights and behavioural evidence on how to bridge deep societal divides.

Plus, he opens up about his own profound shift in perspective: why he completely changed his mind on the relationship between global poverty and climate action.

### **What you’ll learn:**

- **The Power of “Skin in the Game”:** Why giving people small financial stakes to trade in conflicted markets appears to bypass cognitive bias
- **Swords into Bank Shares:** How historical societies used finance to successfully pacify deep caste and political conflicts
- **The Double-Edged Sword of Hero Worship:** How the immense trust earned by a World War I General led his loyal network of soldiers straight into Nazi collaboration
- **Climate Change is Not a Luxury:** Why the traditional economic theory that environmental protection is a luxury reserved for wealthy nations no longer holds up

Buy Alison, Laura and Alexandra’s new book, [**Poles Apart: Why People Turn Against Each Other, and How to Bring Them Together**  https://uk.bookshop.org/a/8711/9781847942975](https://uk.bookshop.org/a/8711/9781847942975?ref=opendemocracy.net)