Presuppositions:
- "You are part of (Z)."
- "(W) is a terrible thing."
- "I'm not like other (X)s; I'm unique and superior to them because I'm
going to let you do (W)."
- "You should feel very guilty about (W)."
- "You should feel very grateful towards me."
Defenses:
- "Really? It would be interesting to hear your opinion on the
matter."
- "That's been said a good deal and is undoubtly an interesting opinion."
- "I wonder if (V) realizes how you feel on this matter."
DO NOT MONKEY AROUND WITH THESE FORMS - it will only makes things worse than
they already are. In Chapter 11 in The Gentle Art of Self-Defense
gives examples on how changing these forms can put you in hotter water.
Example:
"Some husbands would get really upset if their wives insisted on
going back to work when the kids were still only babies." (Computer Mode)
Possible Response:
"Really? It would be interesting to hear your opinion on the
matter, darling."
"My opinion is that you have no business going back to work, if
you really want to know."
"I see. Well, I'm willing to discuss that if you are."
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