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Vagueness

 

Techniques General persuasion > Creating Cognitive Load > Vagueness

Description | Example | Discussion | See also

 

Description

Keep them thinking by being vague and non-specific in the things you say.

Speak in generalities. Avoid naming people, including who did what. Do not say when things will happen. Use classification descriptors rather than unique types. Indicate possibilities rather than certainties.

If they ask you for more detail, keep them guessing by using continued vagueness. Or even engage them in it by asking their opinion.

Example

The work should be completed soon. [What work? By when? By who?]

I think someone might be interested. [Who? Interested in what? How interested?]  

Discussion

In our desire for certainty, we tend to respond to vagueness either by guessing, filling in the missing details ourselves, or asking for more information, probing for the missing information. Either way, this uses up more mental resources than having full detail.

Vagueness is often used in hypnotism, where the subject puts themself into the vague situation suggested by the hypnotherapist, or otherwise thinks consciously about the idea. This gives the therapist space to make suggestions that reach the unconscious mind without much conscious filtering.

See also

Vagueness (modifying meaning), Vagueness (hypnosis), Parisology, Uncertainty principle, Completion principle

 

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Site Menu

| Home | Top | Quick Links | Settings |

Main sections: | Disciplines | Techniques | Principles | Explanations | Theories |

Other sections: | Blog! | Quotes | Guest articles | Analysis | Books | Help |

More pages: | Contact | Caveat | About | Students | Webmasters | Awards | Guestbook | Feedback | Sitemap | Changes |

Settings: | Computer layout | Mobile layout | Small font | Medium font | Large font | Translate |

 

 

Please help and share:

 

Quick links

Disciplines

* Argument
* Brand management
* Change Management
* Coaching
* Communication
* Counseling
* Game Design
* Human Resources
* Job-finding
* Leadership
* Marketing
* Politics
* Propaganda
* Rhetoric
* Negotiation
* Psychoanalysis
* Sales
* Sociology
* Storytelling
* Teaching
* Warfare
* Workplace design

Techniques

* Assertiveness
* Body language
* Change techniques
* Closing techniques
* Conversation
* Confidence tricks
* Conversion
* Creative techniques
* General techniques
* Happiness
* Hypnotism
* Interrogation
* Language
* Listening
* Negotiation tactics
* Objection handling
* Propaganda
* Problem-solving
* Public speaking
* Questioning
* Using repetition
* Resisting persuasion
* Self-development
* Sequential requests
* Storytelling
* Stress Management
* Tipping
* Using humor
* Willpower

Principles

+ Principles

Explanations

* Behaviors
* Beliefs
* Brain stuff
* Conditioning
* Coping Mechanisms
* Critical Theory
* Culture
* Decisions
* Emotions
* Evolution
* Gender
* Games
* Groups
* Habit
* Identity
* Learning
* Meaning
* Memory
* Motivation
* Models
* Needs
* Personality
* Power
* Preferences
* Research
* Relationships
* SIFT Model
* Social Research
* Stress
* Trust
* Values

Theories

* Alphabetic list
* Theory types

And

About
Guest Articles
Blog!
Books
Changes
Contact
Guestbook
Quotes
Students
Webmasters

 

| Home | Top | Menu | Quick Links |

© Changing Works 2002-
Massive Content — Maximum Speed