Yesterday we broke into presuppositions by defining the phrase and talking a bit about what they are. Today we are going to create a sharper focus and talk about the categories that presupposition can be broken up into. While we do this, we can also talk about what exactly they “DO” to the mind of the communication recipient when they are use in conversation. So let’s get right into it…
Imagine that you wake up one morning and you find yourself in a room… no doors, no windows… nothing but a light at the top. You are hungry, thirsty, scared… You ask yourself “What the hell happened? How did I get here?” As you begin to gather your senses, you look around and there on the floor is a big sheet of paper labeled with the phrase “DIRECTIONS FOR GETTING OUT OF HERE”…
You run and grab it and sure enough… this paper explains exactly what this room is, how you got here and how to get out… You follow them to a tee and BLAM… You are spit out of the room… As a sentence…
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All of this may simply seem academic in it’s nature but rest assured that presuppositional language is used every single day by everyone you talk to. The magic that can arise from this is when you are able to use it volitionally. The hypnotic quality of presuppositions allows you to literally implant thoughts, concepts, images, notions, etc… into someone’s mind and all at a level well below critical thinking’s radar. In our next and final post we will take a look at some specific types of presuppositional phrases that you can put into use immediately.
To learn more about Presuppositions and other information that can help you refine your own effective communication, please visit the rest of my site The Communication Expert. Also, if I am online, please feel free to connect with me via Skype.
