Presuppositions:
- "You don't really (X)."
- "You have the power to control not just your actions, but also your
personal desires."
- (Y) is only bait.
Rules:
- Ignore (Y) and address either one of the presuppositions in a neutral
fashion.
- The second presupposition is always FALSE. You can neutrally
reply to the supposition with a "wh" question (who, why, where), but be
careful of the other presuppositions you may be introducing.
- Example:
- "If you really cared about my health, you wouldn't want
to dress the way you do."
Presuppositions:
- "You don't really care about my health." (Blamer Mode)
- "You have the power to control your feelings if you wanted to." (FALSE)
Possible Responses:
- "You know, the idea that people are able to control not only their
actions, but their desires is a fascinating one." (Computer Mode)
- "Where did you get the idea that I don't care about your health?"
(keep voice neutral and avoid the word "ever"!)
- "Why do you suppose you feel that I don't care about your health?"
(again neutral!)
Continue responding in Computer Mode.
- Another Example:
- "If you really cared about being promoted, you would want
to get your reports in on time, like everybody else."
Presuppositions:
- "You don't really care about your job." (Blamer Mode)
- "You have the power to control your feelings if you wanted to." (FALSE)
- Possible Response:
- "When did you begin to feel that I am not interested in promotion?"
(Computer Mode)
- "I should think that would be obvious--when you began turning in you
reports in late." (Blamer Mode)
- "Perhaps a specific incident would be helpful." (Computer Mode)
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