Distance is about how far away an ask or information is from where people are already. People have an existing perspective. If what we’re talking about is too far away from where they are at the moment, they tend to discount or ignore what we’re saying. If they’re a Democrat and we’re a Republican, or vice versa, even if we’re just sharing information, they don’t even listen because it’s so far away from their existing perspective that they don’t want to consider it.

Uncertainty is less about the past and more about the future. New things always involve some sense of uncertainty. A new product or service might be better but people don’t know if it’s better so that uncertainty often prevents action.