Vagueness

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.

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.

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Vagueness

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Site Menu

Quick links

Disciplines

Techniques

Principles

Explanations

Theories

And