Thu, 03 Jul 2008
Lakoff, Don't think of an elephant
Anyone involved in politics, or who has to communicate with the media, or has to communicate with anyone, should read this book.
Frames are stories that we use in conceptual reasoning [actually, invented by Marvin Minsky]. Lakoff argues that when asked a question based around your opponent's frame, you should not respond to the question directly. Rather you should respond in terms of your own frames.
Lakoff argues that the dominant frame of conservatives is strict father morality (while for progressives it is nuturant parent — not gender polarised). Strict father morality, according to Lakoff, is based around the belief that it is the father's role to instill discipline in children by corporal punishment when they misbehave.
He repeats himself a lot. This is partly because half the book appeared as separate articles on Alternet; perhaps the repetition reinforces the message.
The second part of the book is some practical suggestions for progressives to win arguments.
Lakoff, George. Don't think of an elephant: know your values and frame the debate. 2005, Scribe, Melbourne. paperback. 121 pages.
ISBN 1-920769-45-5.
