Why deliberate exaggeration is such an effective persuasion trick

You saw Trump use the intentional wrongness persuasion play over and over, and almost always to good effect. The method goes like this:

1. Make a claim that is directionally accurate but has a big exaggeration or factual error in it.
2. Wait for people to notice the exaggeration or error and spend endless hours talking about how wrong it is.
3. When you dedicate focus and energy to an idea, you remember it. And the things that have the most mental impact on you will irrationally seem as though they are high in priority, even if they are not. That’s persuasion.