Here is, additionally, a list of behaviors/techniques recommended by General Semantics which stood out to me for some reason. The problem is, though, that I find it difficult to say whether they’re representative; for that, see the first link in my other comment: An overview of general semantics
. With that in mind:
Extensional devices:
Indexing : Muslim(1) is not Muslim(2); Feminist(1) is not Feminist(2);. Remember to look for the differences even among a group or category that presume similarities.
Dating : Steve(2008) is not Steve(1968); Steve’s-views-on-abortion(2008) are not Steve’s-views-on-abortion(1988). Remember that each person and each ‘thing’ we experience changes over time, even though the changes may not be apparent to us.
Quotes : ‘truth’, ‘reality’, ‘mind’, ‘elite’. Use quotes around terms as a caution to indicate you’re aware that there is an opportunity for misunderstanding if the term is particularly subject to interpretation, or if you’re being sarcastic, ironic, or facetious. o hyphen : mind-body, thinking-feeling. Use to join terms that we can separate in language, but can’t actually separate in the ‘real’ world. Remember that we can talk in terms that don’t accurately reflect the world ‘out there.’
etc.: Remember that our knowledge and awareness of anything is limited. We can’t sense or experience or talk about all of something, so we should maintain an awareness that “more could be said.”
Variations of English:
E-Prime: eliminate or reduce forms of the to be verbs (is, are, were, am, being, etc.). In particular, reduce those that we consider is of identity (ex. John is a liberal) and is of predication (ex. The rose is red.)
“What’s this? What’s that?” Don’t answer, “It’s a table,” but, “We call it a table.”
English Minus Absolutisms (EMA): eliminate or reduce inappropriate generalizations or expressions that imply allness or absolute attitudes. Examples include: all, none, every, totally, absolutely, perfect, without a doubt, certain, completely.
Holding a stone
Bruce Kodish led the sessions dealing with experiencing on the silent level. One exercise was seemingly quite simple. We were told to pick out a stone, bring it to class, then for a few minutes simply experience the stone on the silent level. In other words, to use our senses without verbalizing our reactions to our senses. My inability to accomplish this simple task was enlightening. It emphasized to me how language can get in the way of our moment-to-moment experiences with “what is going on.” It also demonstrated the extent to which I generate meanings for things. While I was unsuccessful in shutting off my verbalizing, I was quite proficient in coming up with all kinds of thoughts-and-feelings-and-meanings about an ordinary, arbitrary rock. If I can ‘make up’ so much meaning for a random inanimate object, perhaps it would be appropriate for me to be hesitant and inquiring in my future evaluations of relationships with more animate beings.
Ladders
General Semantics has several ladders, which illustrate different levels of abstraction. For example:
A)
Something is going on
I experience what’s going on
I evaluate my experience of what’s going on
From my evaluation of my experience of what’s going on, I
respond to and give meaning to what is going.
Example: You misunderstood what I was trying to say / You didn’t write clearly enough benefits from that.
B)
What Happens
≠ What I Sense
≠ How I Respond
≠ “What It Means”
C)
What we sense is not what happened—What we describe is not what we sense—What it means is not what we describe.
D)
E)
Here is an example of these ladders being used:
What this GS stuff meant to me, at that particular time, was that I didn’t have to be consumed with guilt over the fact that I had decided to end my marriage. Divorce didn’t have a predetermined meaning — our daughter wasn’t forever doomed to be neglected and miserable; I didn’t have to walk forever with my head bowed, ashamed of taking actions to further my own personal happiness; my wife didn’t have to forever grieve over what I had ‘done’ to her. It was certainly possible that each of these outcomes could occur, but they were not unavoidable consequences of the event called divorce.
Source: Here is something about general semantics, by Steven Stockdale, who was once director of the Insititute of Semantics.
Here is, additionally, a list of behaviors/techniques recommended by General Semantics which stood out to me for some reason. The problem is, though, that I find it difficult to say whether they’re representative; for that, see the first link in my other comment: An overview of general semantics . With that in mind:
Extensional devices:
Indexing : Muslim(1) is not Muslim(2); Feminist(1) is not Feminist(2);. Remember to look for the differences even among a group or category that presume similarities.
Dating : Steve(2008) is not Steve(1968); Steve’s-views-on-abortion(2008) are not Steve’s-views-on-abortion(1988). Remember that each person and each ‘thing’ we experience changes over time, even though the changes may not be apparent to us.
Quotes : ‘truth’, ‘reality’, ‘mind’, ‘elite’. Use quotes around terms as a caution to indicate you’re aware that there is an opportunity for misunderstanding if the term is particularly subject to interpretation, or if you’re being sarcastic, ironic, or facetious. o hyphen : mind-body, thinking-feeling. Use to join terms that we can separate in language, but can’t actually separate in the ‘real’ world. Remember that we can talk in terms that don’t accurately reflect the world ‘out there.’
etc.: Remember that our knowledge and awareness of anything is limited. We can’t sense or experience or talk about all of something, so we should maintain an awareness that “more could be said.”
Variations of English:
E-Prime: eliminate or reduce forms of the to be verbs (is, are, were, am, being, etc.). In particular, reduce those that we consider is of identity (ex. John is a liberal) and is of predication (ex. The rose is red.)
“What’s this? What’s that?” Don’t answer, “It’s a table,” but, “We call it a table.”
English Minus Absolutisms (EMA): eliminate or reduce inappropriate generalizations or expressions that imply allness or absolute attitudes. Examples include: all, none, every, totally, absolutely, perfect, without a doubt, certain, completely.
Holding a stone
Ladders
General Semantics has several ladders, which illustrate different levels of abstraction. For example:
A)
Something is going on
I experience what’s going on
I evaluate my experience of what’s going on
From my evaluation of my experience of what’s going on, I respond to and give meaning to what is going.
Example: You misunderstood what I was trying to say / You didn’t write clearly enough benefits from that.
B)
What Happens ≠ What I Sense ≠ How I Respond ≠ “What It Means”
C)
What we sense is not what happened—What we describe is not what we sense—What it means is not what we describe.
D)
E)
Here is an example of these ladders being used:
Note that CBT says something similar