Most people are unaware that there are many levels of language.
There’s the surface structure, the words that we actually say. Then there’s the deep structure, which is the underlying linguistic makeup.
Then there’s what we really mean.
And most of the time, all three are different.
For example, consider this simple sentence:
“I have a dog.”
Now, that’ s a very simple, three letter noun. But I can pretty much guarantee that the dog I think of when I say “dog” is different than the dog you think of when I say “dog.”
How about this sentence:
“My dog can run fast.”
Again, an incredibly simple sentence. But my image of my dog running fast is going to be miles apart from your idea of a dog running fast.
In just this one simple sentence, I’ve taken an idea in my head, and somehow created a similar, but completely different idea in your head. But we’re both on the same page.
The trouble happens when I start speaking in longer, sometimes vague and confusing sentences. Sentences that aren’t specific.
For example:
“The other day I was talking to this guy and he said it wasn’t as bad as people think.”
Huh?
What guy?
What isn’t as bad?
How bad do people think it is?
What people?
There’s a LOT that’s not stated. But in order to make sense of this sentence, you’ve got to fill in the blanks with your own ideas.
Which, of course, are based on your own experiences. Naturally, your experiences are going to be completely different from my experiences.
But here’s the good part. The more vague my sentence is, the more you’ll be using your own experiences to fill in the blanks.
Meaning when I say, “The other day I was talking to this guy and he said it wasn’t as bad as people think,” whatever you come up with in your mind to describe that, you won’t like disbelieve it.
It’s your pictures, based on your experiences, in your mind.
Now, most of the time, this happens completely randomly, haphazardly, and without any conscious thought.
Which means a lot of times you’ve got a group of people standing around wondering what in the heck each other is talking about.
But if you use these techniques in a specific way, meaning you slowly guide your listener or reader, using THEIR thoughts, to YOUR outcome, they’ll almost never resist.
Because they’ll be THEIR ideas, not yours. Even though you “covertly” put them there.
To find out how, click the link below: