Benefits of the Methods
Even if a person has a preferred way to use language or has to use language to enable performance of accountable work, a use of language can be deliberately chosen based on the benefit that is likely to emerge.
In developing this analysis, it is useful to distinguish between personal benefits and the wider societal benefits.
Consensus Diagonal
Moving up the consensus diagonal, there is increasing emotion and the potential for increasing involvement of others. This generates both personal and social benefits.
use of language reveals a degree of expertise and clarity in relation to a particular topic or field.
■ The social benefit is the provision of useful definitions and the generation of rational debate.
■ The personal benefit is that participation in discussion will therefore be received with respect, even if others are not persuaded.
use of language permits engagement at the societal level through activating common values and associated emotions.
■ The social benefit is the enabling of meaningful dissemination and wide engagement on matters of general importance.
■ The personal benefit is the potential for promoting personal preferences and priorities well beyond any personal clique or network.
use of language uses image and magical thinking to penetrate the mysteries of life.
■ The social benefit is the preservation of the spiritual dimension and its energies.
■ The personal benefit flows from the power to dominate others by activating their archaic transpersonal drives.
Conviction Diagonal
Moving up the conviction diagonal, language becomes increasingly complicated in order to ensure effective understanding by listeners.
use of language allows communications to be simplified: gestures often suffice, words may be shortened, and sentences tend to be abbreviated and left ungrammatical.
■ The social benefit is the enabling of easy characteristic interactions that generate a sense of belonging within a group.
■ The personal benefit is the friendly reassurance that comes from informal give-and-take.
use of language allows you to be precise, unambiguous, principled and correct. It therefore permits a powerful clarification of situations.
■ The social benefit is the clarity with which issues are perceived, and the appeal to fundamentals
■ The personal benefit is the power that clarity brings.
use of language permits authoritative detailing and so lets you help someone use a device or take an action correctly.
■ The social benefit is the practical mastery of things and situations,
■ The personal benefit is the immediate helpfulness that can be offered.
use of language
■ The social benefit is the cultural refinement that comes from heightened awareness.
■ The personal benefit is gratification from the flow of creative powers.
- Apply the framework to handling painful social truths.
- Consider implications for social leadership.
- Apply to religion.
- Return to the Review
Originally posted: 28 Feb-2023.