I can't help but feel pity for the author here. They've correctly been able to see through all of these tactics and psychological hacks employed by the marketing industry, but then they've gone on and tried to better themselves and made a big ol fool of themselves trying to do it.
The fact of the matter is that proving things and making a strong point in an argument is HARD. To really convince people about complex issues, you can't just make claims and then cite references. Complex issues will often have aspects where both sides can make well referenced scientific arguments in favour of their side. Hell, if tobacco could do it, why the author expects to do so much better when they try the exact same thing a few paragraphs later is beyond me.
I certainly don't have a great solution either here, but I can say that the things in my life which have nudged my thinking have not been better someone who cited a better reference, or who argues harder for one side. It's been someone who explains as much as possible about the underlying mechanisms involved, and why something is BOTH good and bad which is almost always the case. This usually takes around an hour or 2 of presentation, and is presented by someone who has done years of research in a field. That's what did it for me and sugar at least: https://robertlustig.com/sugar-the-bitter-truth/
The fact of the matter is that proving things and making a strong point in an argument is HARD. To really convince people about complex issues, you can't just make claims and then cite references. Complex issues will often have aspects where both sides can make well referenced scientific arguments in favour of their side. Hell, if tobacco could do it, why the author expects to do so much better when they try the exact same thing a few paragraphs later is beyond me.
I certainly don't have a great solution either here, but I can say that the things in my life which have nudged my thinking have not been better someone who cited a better reference, or who argues harder for one side. It's been someone who explains as much as possible about the underlying mechanisms involved, and why something is BOTH good and bad which is almost always the case. This usually takes around an hour or 2 of presentation, and is presented by someone who has done years of research in a field. That's what did it for me and sugar at least: https://robertlustig.com/sugar-the-bitter-truth/