Framing The Big Picture

The most powerful concept in persuasion is framing.employees even providing part time workers with
When we look at the overall, big picture we can seehealth insurance. They buy their product from
most everything we do and say as a frame. When Isustainable coffee growers in 'third world' (another
suggest examples based on religion and politics, I'mframe) countries. They also have a delicious organic
not (NOT!!) endorsing one side or another. I'm simplyiced decaf mocha.
showing where our blind spots exist, where we haveIt's possible all of these statements are true at once.
holes in our arguments. if you have a belief that youMaybe it doesn't matter a lick to you either way. But
fervently or fanatically believe in, you might just bethey are beliefs and as a result, they are frames.
blind to the other side of the issue.You can do this with everything. Try health care
When we talk about the pro-life/pro-choice debate,providers, for example. They are 'miracle workers',
the other side, no matter which side you're on, isthey're caring, nurturing, overpaid, shills for big
absolutely wrong. No ifs, ands, or buts. The otherpharmaceutical and insurance companies.
side is NEVER going to accept your point of view. It'sYour beliefs may include none of these descriptions.
just not an option. There are some that are soAt the very least, you can see that each statement
certain that this is not a "choice" but murder. Othersis a frame. We've all had good and bad experiences
believe it's not a frame at all, but an elimination of awith health care providers and these experiences
woman's choice to have freedom over her body.necessarily color the way you view the profession. If
There is no in between, no gray area for either side.your first memory was of being ill and having to be
I have absolutely no interest in changing your deeplyhospitalized, then that would have an enormous
held beliefs, but my goal is to simply point out that allimprint on a fear of hospitals. At the same time, the
of these beliefs, ultimately, are different frames.procedure may have saved your life. This might not
The ability to reframe is to tell our truth, life the wayhelp adjust your frame because the negative
we see it. It requires us to repeat things deeplyexperience of illness and pain, would be
carving neuro pathways that show us what to thinkovershadowed by the positive experience of being
in any given situation, with any given group or idea, inalive. Only through multiple positive experiences would
any setting.that change the neuro pathways that make you fear
Without naming names, think of the major coffeehealth care providers/hospitals.
chain, the one that's taking over the world. They'reIt is my hope that in repeating the importance of
responsible for putting little mom and pop cafes outframes, some of you may begin to view the whole
of business. They charge A LOT. They may even beworld as a series of frames.
slightly overrated. AND yet, they are fair to their