Gaia: Living in Language - Linguistic Viruses

Re: Incursion, Invasion, Operation

Fri, 21 Jul 2006 00:15:59 GMT

Totally agree

I've done some NLP work with a local (DC area) practioner and with Charles Faulkner ... (like 15 years ago... in my business re-engineering days) most people are afraid of the power of NLP and to me it is just that reason that one should study it, learn it... and learn it well... so you can see when manipulation is coming at you...

There are so many life skills that could be taught... can you imagine what it would be like if High School graduates had ... some of these skills... but no... we are graduating obese, game playing spoiled self centered... stop me !!!

Well, at least immigration - of the cream from India etc... still fill our PhD programs with brainacs... if and when that ever stops... look out...

= = =

but of course we are all above average here... eh?

= = =

love and peace

donald, who flunked spelling among other things... (I was like, absent that day)

Re: Incursion, Invasion, Operation

http://katin.gaia.com — Thu, 20 Jul 2006 17:35:24 GMT

> They are actually manipulating our consciousness for the long term Ah, and like Jedi mind tricks, they only work on minds that don't have the tools, skills, or knowledge to recognize it and filter it. Here's where we have truely failed ourselves: our schools haven't taught meaningful critical thinking skills in decades. IMHO, THAT is what is harmful to a peaceful life here on earth. NLP is a fabulous clarifier for this sort of thing: it presents codified methods for taking and assessing perspectives. For example, by asking a few questions about any statement or story, you can readily disarm it of any manipulations. Who is speaking? What is their relationship to the subject? Why are they speaking? What is their purpose? What do they really know about it? (How are they qualified to speak?) Which statements are assessments, and which are assertions? (opinion vs. accepted fact?) If they are declaring something, what authority do they have to uphold the declaration? If we trained our children to ask these questions as a habit, not only would it become so second-nature as to happen in a splite-second (no overhead cost to speak of), but the journalists would change their writing radically because people would see their stories very differently. They'd be back to reporting facts rather than coloring drama and interpreting for us. Teach a child you know some great qualifying questions today!

Re: Incursion, Invasion, Operation

Sun, 16 Jul 2006 18:11:15 GMT

The choice of words to use do manipulate the reader... "the suspect was nabbed"

Isreal put up a "fence" to keep "terrorists" from getting in...

= = =

The best at manipulating the news via the language wins...

They are actually manipulating our consciousness for the long term... long, long term... and that is very harmful for our peaceful life here on earth.

Incursion, Invasion, Operation

http://transmillennial.gaia.com — Fri, 14 Jul 2006 15:07:56 GMT

Not taking sides in the current warfare, but I have a question on the way it is being reported.

Israel's attacks on Lebanon are being described as an "incursion" and not an "invasion". I wonder why? Does"incursion" sound less "invasive", less permanent, less violent?

It is similar to the US invasion or Iraq, which was generally referred to as an "operation." AN operation sounds like a sterile surgical procedure to remove a disease.

Regardless of where it takes place or who is involved, if we called war "war", we might be less willing to agree to it.

Re: the comparison without context trap

http://grayraven.gaia.com — Fri, 02 Jun 2006 23:15:39 GMT

Excellent and simple summary of the problem of failing to be aware of the context in which statements are being made. Value judgements make sense when they are directed at a specific context.

the comparison without context trap

http://katin.gaia.com — Thu, 25 May 2006 18:57:39 GMT

I posted this on my blg, but then thought it would also be appropriate here. :) A conversation: Abby: "I have two cookie recipes here." Bob: "Ah. Good. I want to make cookies. Okay, which one is the right one?" Abby: "The right one? What do you mean? They are both valid recipes." Bob: "But which one is the *right* one to make cookies?" Abby: "Er, they are both right. They both make cookies." Bob: "Well, okay, but which one makes the *right* cookies?" Abby: ??? Substitute exercise programs, philosophies, psychological methods, or whatever you like for "cookie recipies" in the above conversation and let your mind run the paths. Hmmm. There are linguistic issues in the above conversation. Depending on the topic, this conversation can typically either (1) continue to have the two speakers missing each other's point of view entirely, or (2) devolve into arguing over which one is, indeed, the *right* one and why. Although the "why's" tend to run into emotional and opinion-based territory. One way to get a bit farther up the ladder is to change the question. It isn't about which one is better, it's about which one is better for _what_? Not which is better in general, or all the reasons that one is good and other isn't good in a myriad of situations, but specifically narrow in on the 'what' part. Defining the "what" really adds clarity to things. Some recipes are great for one kind of application, problem, or result. Other are great for different ones. Get your bearings by first asking the other person what the 'what' part is. Abby: "Better for what?" And as often as not, they won't know the 'what'. So have them begin there. Once they can speak the what, often the rest comes naturally. And often, you save hours of time because you didn't struggle and conflict over the "comparison without context" problem. Put simply, don't try to work on the "how" until you know the "what".

Re: A virus: Hidden Requests

http://apocalypse-is-always-now.gaia.com — Tue, 02 May 2006 17:01:33 GMT

This is a really great article Katin, you are awash in creative awareness, thank you so much.

A virus: Hidden Requests

http://katin.gaia.com — Tue, 14 Mar 2006 11:08:25 GMT

I have an article on my web site that might interest linguistic folks: Hidden Requests: A Linguistic Virus that Destroys Relationships and How to Kill It I'd be happy to have Q&A on this and other viruses here in this discussion topic. Please feel free to just leave comments as well. Love ya, Zaadzsters!