Why do people become libertarian? In order to build a movement of people dedicated to liberty, it's a question that needs serious answers.

Some say they've always held particularly individualist values and have always just thought it was all common sense. But many others have radically changed their viewpoint, sometimes even from radical socialism or conservatism. Usually, they will claim to have read a particular article, had a conversation, or read a book. But it's actually more interesting than that.

First of all, nobody radically changes their views overnight. It is almost always a slow process of discovery, and requires two key preconditions. The first is exposure to those ideas altogether, and the second is a willingness to listen and expose themselves to new ideas. As part of this, people trying to convince others need to recognize that listeners actually convince themselves long after exposure to new ideas, and not after an hour-long, heated debate in which there's a seemingly clear winner and loser.

Libertarians also need to recognize that the vast majority of people are in fact willing to listen, and probably aren't vehemently biased against freedom. For a start, pretty much everybody likes to think of themselves as being open-minded. If they're not, then it's sometimes simply worth reminding them that they usually are.

Secondly, libertarians need to recognize that most people can be put off ideas. Not because of the ideas themselves, and not even because of the way they're presented or the arguments used, but because they begin to dislike the messenger. Quite simply, we'd much rather listen to and engage with those who are intellectually humble and friendly, than with those who get angry and call us names.

It all sounds like common sense, but we actually make a lot of mistakes when trying to convince others. Libertarians are all too often called extremists or crazy, and I don't think it's because of opposition to the ideas themselves. And nor is it a media bias against libertarians. More often than not, it's the fault of activists who forget themselves. We've all been guilty of it - raised voices, absolute conviction of our own ideas, despair at someone's seemingly irrational opposition, and sometimes even insults. But it doesn't win the argument, and it doesn't convince anybody of the ideas.

So why do people become libertarians? They get exposed to the ideas, they mull them over, and they convince themselves. The best way other libertarians can help this process along is to get those ideas out there as much as possible: be friendly, but above all be friendly, open, and intellectually humble. A willingness to engage with others' ideas will make them more willing to engage with yours.