Don't Think of an Elephant! Know Your Values and Frame the Debate

by George Lakoff

“[Lakoff is] the father of framing.”—The New York Times

“An indispensable tool for progressives—packed with new thinking on framing issues that are hotly debated right now."—Jennifer M. Granholm, former governor of Michigan

Ten years after writing the definitive, international bestselling book on political debate and messaging, George Lakoff returns with new strategies about how to frame today’s essential issues.

Called the “father of framing” by The New York Times, Lakoff explains how framing is about ideas—ideas that come before policy, ideas that make sense of facts, ideas that are proactive not reactive, positive not negative, ideas that need to be communicated out loud every day in public.

The ALL NEW Don’t Think of an Elephant! picks up where the original book left off—delving deeper into how framing works, how framing has evolved in the past decade, how to speak to people who harbor elements of both progressive and conservative worldviews, how to counter propaganda and slogans, and more.

In this updated and expanded edition, Lakoff, urges progressives to go beyond the typical laundry list of facts, policies, and programs and present a clear moral vision to the country—one that is traditionally American and can become a guidepost for developing compassionate, effective policy that upholds citizens’ well-being and freedom.

Genres: Nonfiction, Psychology, Politics

Paperback

First published September 1, 2013

About the author

George Lakoff is Richard and Rhoda Goldman Distinguished Professor of Cognitive Science and Linguistics at UC Berkeley and is one of the founders of the field of cognitive science.

He is author of The New York Times bestseller Don't Think of an Elephant!, as well as Moral Politics: How Liberals and Conservatives Think, Whose Freedom?, and many other books and articles on cognitive science and linguistics.

Reviews

[Deb · Rating 4 out of 5]

A linguistics and cognition expert has written about framing and messaging in political discourse. He has good things to say but the book was initially released in 2004 with a second edition written in 2014 so the perspective is dated. The author does continue to comment on our current political situation on his blog - it's worth checking out.

[Joe Parish · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book got in my head. Not quite sure how to frame how I feel

[Mike Cheng · Rating 2 out of 5]

George Lakoff is a professor of linguistics, and here he uses his expertise to assist progressives in changing the electorate’s opinions on charged political issues. Framing is the art of controlling the narrative through language, i.e., choosing the right words and letting that dictate the discourse. An example of how Republicans did this during the George W. Bush administration: In describing taxation, President Bush was able to frame the debate by referring to tax cuts as “tax relief” thereby framing taxes as an “affliction” that something the GOP and President Bush sought to “cure”. Dems didn’t help themselves by repeating the term. Another one: In his State of the Union address, President Bush also used the term “permission slip” with respect to foreign policy, painting the United States (and perhaps his administration) as the adult in the room. One more: Richard Nixon infamously said to the public that “I’m not a crook” and is forever associated with the word. In sum, do not let your opponents dictate the frame but instead arm yourself with that ability, and use this skill to set the tone and the theme of a debate. All of this is covered in the first 10% of the book, and throughout the rest Mr. Lakoff promotes his leftist views (and frames accordingly) on a variety of issues. One frame throughout the book is referring to the GOP’s governance as the “strict father” model and the Dems’ governance as the “nurturant parent”, akin to what libertarian Jason Brennan asserts respect to conservatives (the police state) vs. progressives (the nanny state).

[Kylee Williams · Rating 4 out of 5]

As someone working in politics and actively engaged in crafting messages and framing, I found this incredibly insightful. The breakdown of the two moral worldviews—“strict father morality” versus “nurturant parent morality”—was especially powerful in helping me understand the deeper values that drive both conservative and progressive thinking. While the book was originally released in 2004 and this version in 2014, its core concepts remain deeply relevant. Framing, metaphors, and the neural basis of thought still underpin how political messages are received and internalized today.

I’m often just baffled by conservative (more so authoritarian) perspectives, and this book gave me both language and clarity to make sense of them—not just intellectually, but strategically. Lakoff’s discussion of biconceptualism offered a particularly useful lens on how to engage with those in the political middle, not by compromising, but by reinforcing shared values. Despite its age, this book is a must-read for anyone serious about progressive campaigning and changing minds—not just through facts, but by literally reshaping the way people think.

[Dale Rosenberg · Rating 4 out of 5]

Interesting point of view! Lakoff argues that many of the defeats of the Democratic Party come from presenting facts instead of stressing values, that Republican successes in campaigns where they blatantly lie come from tapping into the electorate's value system and then deceiving them into believing they're on their side, values wise. He recommends framing arguments - both political and other - in terms of values and describes ways to do so. Well worth reading.

[Matthew · Rating 3 out of 5]

Much more political than I was thinking it would be, often in an us-versus-them context. I was reading it more for communications strategies and you get that in the first chapter quite well, but less so after that. It falls into the trap of so many instructional books - a good idea that really only needs 30-50 pages to convey completely.

[camilla · Rating 3 out of 5]

read for my environmental policy class! not bad at all. adds new perspectives on how progressive ppl should square up against conservative ppl. not all that sure about if any of it actually works, but it was still interesting to read about how linguistics play a large role in how we see the world.

[Sean McCutcheon · Rating 5 out of 5]

Phenomenal book that helps you frame arguments about a variety of topics to help you convey your point and get people to see your point of view.

[sophie · Rating 3 out of 5]

interesting how framing w/ both republicans and democrats revolves around a familial metaphor - what is possible if we move beyond that entirely
finished 2024

[Sertaç Must · Rating 3 out of 5]

This book is all about the US and liberals/conservatives however there are good points to understand conservatives (wherever in the world they are) and develop strong arguments with so ‘reframing’ and empathy’.