A Simple Trick To Silence Your Critics
Ever wonder how explotative rich and powerful people avoid criticism and maintain support?
It's called reframing.
How many times have you heard a person say 'we' when they really mean 'I'?
But when confronted on it he said something brilliant, "I'm not networking. I'm making friends."
This reframe shifted the entire narrative about what this person was up to.
Making friends is wholesome and positive. Networking is clearly self-serving.
Okay that last one was bad, but you get the point. It's a tool that must be used skillfully. A bad reframe will make you look like a jackass.
Jay Carney is head of PR for Amazon, and was a press secretary for Obama. In a PBS frontline interview about Amazon's empire he actually stated his job as being a, "Storyteller and educator."
That's one hell of a reframe!
Throughout the 11-minute interview he reframed every question into a positive for him and Amazon.
Everyone Gets Tricked by Reframing
Politics 101 is reframing your ambition as the interest of others.
Reframing is a tool that rich and powerful people use all the time.
Examples:
"You're not an expendable worker. You're an essential worker."
"It's not a surveillance economy. It's a sharing economy."
"I didn't cheat on you. I outsourced a surplus of love."
Okay that last one was bad, but you get the point. It's a tool that must be used skillfully. A bad reframe will make you look like a jackass.
Reframing Gone Wrong
'Alternative facts' was a horrible attempt at reframing.
Remember the 'Alternative facts' bit from Kellyanne Conway? She was mocked relentlessly and this bad attempt at reframing made it obvious she was simply lying.
But those who master reframing are impossible to argue with or criticize. They will either charm you into submission or make you look like a jealous hater.
The Reframing Master
Jay Carney is a reframing god.
Jay Carney is head of PR for Amazon, and was a press secretary for Obama. In a PBS frontline interview about Amazon's empire he actually stated his job as being a, "Storyteller and educator."
That's one hell of a reframe!
Throughout the 11-minute interview he reframed every question into a positive for him and Amazon.
Despite the journalist being armed with legitimate criticism and tough questions, Jay slipped through unscathed.
You Need to Start Reframing
Is it dirty? Yes. Must you do it? Yes.
Reframing will help you justify yourself to your partner at home, sell your ideas at work, and gain influence.
It's a dirty game we all gotta play.
Understanding reframing will not only allow you to advance your interests, but will also keep you from being tricked or seduced by bad actors.
Further Study:
- Charisma On Command: Game of Thrones: How Power Really Works
- Frontline PBS: Amazon Empire: The Rise and Reign of Jeff Bezos