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OMG, my opponent is lying!

It is a very difficult thing to counter lies, especially ones consciously engineered as part of a much larger, well funded and relentless propaganda effort. Responding to the lies may be necessary, but it is not sufficient —and potentially counterproductive. Do these things instead.

Book Review: Generation Occupy by Michael Levitin

Levitin first captured my attention when I read one of his magazine articles because of the way he uses language to activate shared values. I was impressed by his framing ability and looked forward to more of the same in his book.

Persuasion Pt 2: Using Framing to Attract People to Your Side

When we think of using effective message framing to persuade, the concept of attraction fits quite well. When we frame issues based on our values, we are setting the boundaries of discussion to appeal to another person’s shared values and attract them to our side.

Persuasion Pt 1:  Communication for Results

In political and advocacy work we need to persuade people to take on our views on issues and, ultimately, perform an action we desire (vote for a certain candidate, write legislators, donate, etc.) What does it mean to persuade?

Critical Race Theory: The Perfect Straw Man

In recent months School Boards across the country have been and continue to be stormed by people who are afraid of two things: mask mandates and Critical Race Theory. The controversy surrounding both of these subjects – one around public health, one around a body of legal scholarship – have been manufactured by people who want one thing: to keep our nation divided.