This Post Might Just Save Your Life!

This blog post might just save your life! Well, not exactly. Truthfully, not even close. But you might be a little wiser for having read it, so I hope you’ll stay with me for a moment and continue reading.

You might be wondering why I went with such a sensationalized title. You could say it was manipulative, that I was just out to get you to read, and you’d be right. So why is a guy who blogs about ethical persuasion using a manipulative tactic? Simply to make this point – I’m so sick of seeing manipulative headlines I decided to write about it. Here are some that irritate me.

War on Christmas – Did you know there was a battle raging this past December and many soldiers lost their lives along with innocent civilians? This headline was especially prevalent on Fox News over the holidays. My dad was in Viet Nam and I’m willing to bet he and other veterans who’ve seen combat would not use the word “war” to describe the tactics used by groups who are opposed to Christmas.

Obama Declares War on the Citizens That Resist PPACA – Not only are we having to defend our lives against the Christmas rebel soldiers, we have to battle our own President! I saw this headline on LinkedIn. Again, the use of the word “war.” Really, the government is firing bullets and lives are being lost because of what Obama is doing? Please!

War on Women – I see this headline on Facebook a lot. I know women serve in the military and now engage the enemy in combat but apart from that there’s no war on women. Some people may be opposed to certain pieces of legislation but there’s no war.

Some of you are thinking this is no big deal. After all we were taught, “Sticks and stones can break my bones but names will never hurt me.” I’d counter with, “The pen is mightier than the sword.” You clearly know when you’re being physically assaulted but it’s not always so clear when it’s a mental assault. Whether or not you’re aware, those headlines impact people’s emotions and thinking and that’s exactly why the authors use the words they do.

Frank Luntz wrote a book about this very subject called Words that Work. Luntz polls people for a living to find out which words resonate most so he can help his clients with their messaging. As you begin to pay attention to word choice you can quickly tell which side of the issue a presenter is on. Let’s take a look at a couple of good examples.

Illegal Aliens vs. Undocumented Workers – Illegal is bad because it’s breaking the law. When we think of aliens it typically conjures up images of beings we must defeat before they take over our planet. Together “illegal aliens” builds a negative image and negative emotions. It leads to zealous thinking along the lines of, “We don’t want those illegal aliens in our country!”

On the other hand “undocumented” isn’t so bad. It makes it sound like someone lost his or her paperwork. That could happen to anyone. Workers aren’t bad either. We need more good workers in this country and we esteem a good work ethic. Together we have “undocumented workers” which creates a different mental picture and softer emotions. If we can get the proper paperwork they could help this country immensely because quite often they’re willing to do jobs the average citizen doesn’t want to do.

But let’s be clear; in the end both sides are talking about the very same thing. However, the word choice each uses builds different mental images and those mental images are designed to arouse completely different emotions. Both are trying to get us to form very different opinions on the same issue.

Death Tax vs. Estate Tax – This is another great example. No one likes to pay taxes but there’s a spectrum on which people fall when it comes to taxes. Some would like to pay as little as possible and damn the consequences. Others see taxes as necessary to build a strong society and infrastructure. The real question is what word will we use with taxes.

Death is not a good image no matter how you present it. Very few people want to die but when they do the last thing they want to think about is the government reaching into their casket for one last money grab. You mean even in death we can’t escape taxation? Outrage!

When you hear the word “estate” what do you think of? If you’re like most people you think about rich people because they’re the only ones who can afford to live on sprawling estates. Why should their millions, or hundreds of millions, be passed on to some greedy spoiled kids who did nothing to build that fortune? Does the world need any more Paris Hiltons or Kardashian girls? With that imagery many people say, “Heck yea, take as much as you can so the rest of us don’t have to pay as much!”

Again, two sides talking about the same issue – taxing people’s accumulated assets when they pass on – using very different words. They want to arouse emotions and ultimately actions.

It’s not like Sgt. Joe Friday who used to say in the television series Dragnet, “Just the facts.” Watch Fox and MSNBC or CNN and you’ll think they’re from two different planets despite talking about the same issues facing our country. Pay close attention to the words used because there are many issues that impact each of us – taxation, abortion, gun control, health care, etc. – and how we’re persuaded to act will have to do in large part with how each side presents its case.

Brian, CMCT® 
influencepeople 
Helping You Learn to Hear “Yes”.