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

by George Lakoff

Frames are mental structures that shape the way we see the world. As a result, they shape the goals we seek, the plans we make, the way we act, and what counts as a good or bad outcome of our actions.

When we negate a frame, we evoke the frame.

This gives us a basic principle of framing, for when you are arguing against the other side: Do not use their language. Their language picks out a frame—and it won’t be the frame you want.

To be accepted, the truth must fit people’s frames. If the facts do not fit a frame, the frame stays and the facts bounce off. Why?

Concepts are not things that can be changed just by someone telling us a fact. We may be presented with facts, but for us to make sense of them, they have to fit what is already in the synapses of the brain. Otherwise facts go in and then they go right back out.

There is another myth that also comes from the Enlightenment, and it goes like this. It is irrational to go against your self-interest, and therefore a normal person, who is rational, reasons on the basis of self-interest. Modern economic theory and foreign policy are set up on the basis of that assumption.

People do not necessarily vote in their self-interest. They vote their identity. They vote their values. They vote for who they identify with.

One of the major mistakes liberals make is that they think they have all the ideas they need.

When you think you just lack words, what you really lack are ideas.

It’s called hypocognition—the lack of the ideas you need, the lack of a relatively simple fixed frame that can be evoked by a word or two.

And corporations will be free to ignore the public good. That is what “tort reform” is about.

Why an education bill about school testing? Once the testing frame applies not just to students but also to schools, then schools can, metaphorically, fail—and be punished for failing by having their allowance cut.

Fear triggers the strict father model; it tends to make the model active in one’s brain.

Love is sacred in America. So is commitment. There is sanctity in marriage: It is the sanctity of love and commitment.

Most Americans want to know what you stand for, whether your values are their values, what your principles are, what direction you want to take the country in.

Protection, fulfillment in life, fairness. When you care about someone, you want them to be protected from harm, you want their dreams to come true, and you want them to be treated fairly.

Community, service, cooperation. Children are shaped by their communities. Responsibility

If you work hard; play by the rules; and serve your family, community, and nation, then the nation should provide a decent standard of living, as well

Government does what America’s future requires

Markets should be constructed for the broadest possible prosperity,

The proper goal is a better future for all Americans.

Progressives live by the best values of both families and communities: mutual responsibility, which is authoritative, equal, two-way, and based around caring, responsibility (both individual and social), and strength.

The conservatives just don’t get it. They seem ignorant of the vast difference between responsibility and permissiveness.

Framing is normal. Every sentence we say is framed in some way. When we say what we believe, we are using frames that we think are relatively accurate.

Spin is the manipulative use of a frame. Spin is used when something embarrassing has happened or has been said, and it’s an attempt to put an innocent frame on it—that is, to make the embarrassing occurrence sound normal or good.

Propaganda is another manipulative use of framing. Propaganda is an attempt to get the public to adopt a frame that is not true and is known not to be true, for the purpose of gaining or maintaining political control.

Be calm. Calmness is a sign that you know what you are talking about.

Always be on

the offense. Never go on defense. Never whine or complain. Never

You should convey passionate conviction without losing control.

Avoid the usual mistakes. Remember, don’t just negate the other person’s claims; reframe.

You cannot win just be stating the true facts and showing that they contradict your opponent’s claims.

Frames trump...

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If you remember nothing else about framing, remember this: Once your frame is accepted into the discourse, everything you say is just common sense. Why?

Never answer a question framed from your opponent’s point of view.

A useful thing to do is to use rhetorical questions: Wouldn’t it be better if . . . ?