How we change what others think, feel, believe and do

Too Hard

Techniques > Resisting persuasion >  Too Hard

Method | Example | Discussion | See also

Method

Say that the proposal will be too difficult, cost too much or otherwise too hard. In short it is not worth your time, money or effort to agree.

Say you can't afford it. Tell them that it is just too difficult. Explain that the return on investment would be insufficient because the investment would have to be too great, and anyway you do not have the time or funds.

If they say it is easy, you can explain just how difficult it would be in practice. It is one thing to come up with an idea. It is always more difficult than expected to make it work in practice.

Example

Sorry, this is just too much for me. I can't afford the time it would need to do justice to it. It's a really complex solution that I'm sure would work out in time, but I'm just too busy at the moment.

Wow. That looks like it took a lot of time. But I just don't have the time to understand. To be frank, I also am not that technically oriented and just don't get much of it. My current system may be antiquated, but it would be just too much work to pick up something new.

Nice idea but we'd have to start with getting approval from all the infrastructure groups and I know several wouldn't like the extra work it would create, even if this was for a limited period. Then there would be changes to the systems and additional training. It's just not worth it.

Discussion

This is another simple dismissal that can be applied to all kinds of situations. Technology is a classic 'too hard' example, but other work can easily become too complex.

Only you can tell how difficult something will be for you, even if the other person says it is easy to learn. This gives power to your statements which is difficult to refute, even if it such challenges are offered (as they often are). The response to comments such as 'it's easy, really' can simply be 'easy for you, hard for me'.

See also

Complicated