Hey what’s up Thinkers! Kathy Gibbens here…
Let’s start off with a quick review of a compliance tactic we covered earlier this season called The Foot in the Door Technique. Ok, why don't you hit pause real quick and see if you can remember what this tactic is. The Foot In The Door technique is when someone first makes a small request or offer that you’re sure to accept because then later on, they plan on making a larger request or offer that they really WANT you to accept, but they knew if they started with the large request you’d say no.
Rather than giving you a question to ask yourself for this one, I’m going to give you a statement, a truth that you can say to yourself if you ever find yourself in this position: “Just b/c I said ‘yes’ once doesn’t mean I have to do it again.”
If you want to review or hear more about the Foot In the Door Tactic, go back & check out Episode 133.
Are you looking for a good math curriculum? Check out our sponsor, CTC Math. CTC Math uses video tutorials and summaries that are clear, complete and easy to follow [like having your very own teacher]! This ensures your child understands something before they're asked to practice it. The curriculum uses worksheets and interactive questions based explicitly on the video tutorials the children have just watched. They even give you helpful reports so you can monitor your child's progress. You can start a free trial today by visiting C-T-C-math.com, or click the link in the show notes.
Ok, we are continuing on in our miniseries on propaganda tactics and today I’m bringing you two tactics that are very similar. Basically, they’re opposites, so I thought I’d put them in the same episode so you can learn about both of them at the same time. And, both of them are tactics that use certain words or mental imagery to instill positive or negative emotions.
The first one is called Dysphemism. Dysphemism happens when someone purposely uses words or phrases that are harsh, rude, or disrespectful to describe something or someone instead of using kind or neutral words.
Here are some examples of Dysphemism:
1. Using the term ‘loony bin’ instead of ‘mental institution’
2. Saying the person ‘croaked’ or ‘six feet under’ instead of ‘passed away’
3. Describing someone as a ‘bleeding heart’ instead of someone who cares about certain issues
4. Calling someone a ‘control freak’ rather than ‘meticulous’
5. Saying someone is an ‘airhead’ rather than forgetful
6. And saying someone is ‘over the hill’ rather than just saying they’re old.
So you can see Dysphemism is changing the language to be more derogatory or negative.
In contrast, a Euphemism is when someone purposely uses words that are nicer and gentler or more polite. Using a Euphemism is generally intended to paint a more positive picture than what the actual words would have done.
Here are some examples of Euphemisms:
7. Saying someone is ‘resting in peace’ instead of saying that they’re dead
8. A boss telling an employee they’re being ‘let go’ instead of ‘fired’
9. Describing someone as being ‘frugal’ when they’re really ‘cheap’
10. Calling a country a ‘developing nation’ rather than a ‘third world country’
11. Saying a person is ‘big boned’ instead of calling them ‘large’
12. And how about saying someone is ‘in their birthday suit’ rather than saying they were ‘naked’
Now, are Dysphemisms & Euphemisms always manipulative? No, absolutely not. In fact, there are plenty of time when they’re warranted based on who might be around, like if there are young children & you don’t want to talk about mature subjects in front of them, or, say, in literature where these are used as literary devices to make the person’s writing more interesting. However, they can also be used purposely to make something seem better or worse than it actually is…to invoke anger over something or to try to make another thing seem like it’s not really a big deal. And, if this sounds familiar, you’d be right…Dysphemism & Euphemism are both forms of DoubleSpeak, which we talked about back in episode 147, and I even mentioned Euphemisms in that episode as well.
An example of Dysphemism that’s happened in our country over the past few years is calling the Jan 6 protestors ‘Insurrectionists’ instead of just protestors, while describing other protestors who burned down buildings as ‘mostly peaceful protestors’. And a real-life example of Euphemism is when politicians use the term ‘reproductive choice’ when they’re really talking about abortion.
Question to ask yourself: “Are they purposely trying to make something seem worse than it is?” or “Are they purposely trying to make something seem better than it is?” *repeat*
Remember: When you learn HOW to think, you will no longer fall prey to those who are trying to tell you what THEY want you to think and it all starts with asking one simple question: “Is that really true?”
