The Powers That Be at my college are trying to insist that we all work at least one evening or community session. I can't begin to express how pleased we all are at the prospect. (Memo to self: teach class about sarcasm.)
But that's not what I wanted to talk about, I wanted to give another example of words shaping reality. Today my boss walked in to my classroom after a lesson and asked, "Which would you prefer, working an evening session or working out in the community?"
This is a deeply manipulative question. It's a "Do you still beat your wife?" question. There is absolutely no way to answer it without accepting the basic premise and incriminating yourself. I told him so but, apart from raising a smile, it had no actual effect. The question must, he insisted, be answered.
In it's way of course it's quite beautiful. A very elegant and economical use of language. It's a question phrased so that there are only two possible answers and both of them create the reality that I'm going to work at times or in places that I don't want to work. Cunning and devious. Worthy of a politician.
Can words create a reality? Damn right they can.
But that's not what I wanted to talk about, I wanted to give another example of words shaping reality. Today my boss walked in to my classroom after a lesson and asked, "Which would you prefer, working an evening session or working out in the community?"
This is a deeply manipulative question. It's a "Do you still beat your wife?" question. There is absolutely no way to answer it without accepting the basic premise and incriminating yourself. I told him so but, apart from raising a smile, it had no actual effect. The question must, he insisted, be answered.
In it's way of course it's quite beautiful. A very elegant and economical use of language. It's a question phrased so that there are only two possible answers and both of them create the reality that I'm going to work at times or in places that I don't want to work. Cunning and devious. Worthy of a politician.
Can words create a reality? Damn right they can.
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