Framing The Big Picture

The most powerful concept in persuasion is framing. When we look at the overall, big picture we can see most everything we do and say as a frame. When I suggest examples based on religion and politics, I’m not (NOT!!) endorsing one side or another. I’m simply showing where our blind spots exist, where we have holes in our arguments. if you have a belief that you fervently or fanatically believe in, you might just be blind to the other side of the issue.

Take pro life/pro choice. The other side, whichever side you’re on, is wrong. No budging. Pro choice/anti life versus pro life/anti choice. There is no possible way to accept the other side’s point of view because it is not an option. There are some that don’t even believe it’s a frame, it’s just murder. There are others who believe it’s not a frame, it’s just an elimination of a woman’s choice to have freedom over her body. There’s no gray area for either camp.

I’m absolutely not interested in changing these deep held beliefs, but I want us all to look at how they are ultimately, frames.

Reframing is automatic in most cases. . . we just don’t know it’s happening or exactly how it’s happening. It is very present when we’re debating or arguing. It requires repetition. We have deeply carved neuro pathways that we use to guide us in any given situation.

Now, I’m not going to name names here. .. you can figure out who I’m writing about. . . think of THE major coffee chain in the country. You know the one. They seemingly are taking over the world. They have consistently put little mom and pop coffee shops out of business. They charge too much. They’re overrated. AND they are fair to their workers by providing part time employees with health insurance. They purchase their coffee from sustainable growers in ‘third world’ countries. They also have a tasty organic iced decaf mocha.

Maybe you believe a combination of the above. Maybe none of it really matters to you at all. But these are all beliefs and therefore frames.

Think of this in terms of ‘health care providers’. Many people think they’re miracle workers. They can be perceived of as caring and nurturing. They can be perceived of as overpaid shills for the pharmaceutical and insurance industries.

Your beliefs may include none of these descriptions. At the very least, you can see that each statement is a frame. We’ve all had good and bad experiences with health care providers and these experiences necessarily color the way you view the profession. If your first memory was of being ill and having to be hospitalized, then that would have an enormous imprint on a fear of hospitals. At the same time, the procedure may have saved your life. This might not help adjust your frame because the negative experience of illness and pain, would be overshadowed by the positive experience of being alive. Only through multiple positive experiences would that change the neuro pathways that make you fear health care providers/hospitals.

It is my hope that in repeating the importance of frames, some of you may begin to view the whole world as a series of frames.

About the Author: Kenrick Cleveland

Kenrick Cleveland teaches strategies to earn the business of wealthy clients using persuasion. He runs public and private seminars and offers home study courses and coaching programs in persuasion strategies.