When societies are involved in long-term, intractable conflicts, individuals tend to develop highly polarized views about how to resolve them, which can make it even harder to reach agreements. But it’s possible that making things seem worse could make them a bit better.

A recent study published in PNAS showed that when people who hold extreme opinions are exposed to even more extreme opinions, they tend to moderate their views. Unfortunately, exposing moderates to these same intervention messages makes them more extreme in their opinions, so this technique may be a double-edged sword.

The authors of the study examined attitudes of people living in a conflict-ridden region of Israel. The Israeli conflict has been going on for decades, and individuals’ opinions on it are closely tied to their political beliefs and level of religiosity. The authors attempted to use a model called “paradoxical thinking” to change people’s perspectives on this deeply entrenched conflict.