Sympathy

As I read Chapters nineteen and twenty, many techniques were bombarded, yet the one that most called for my attention was the verbing method.

I believe this is the one that most caught my attention, for I can relate to it in my everyday life. This is a perfect example of what is talked in Chapter nineteen. As Heinrich states, “If they’re for it, there in. If they’re against it they’re out.” This is the identity strategy, which is the biggest tool of manipulation. We see it in our everyday lives. This is the strategy used by most advertisiers, politicians, and salespeople and so on. Society’s beliefs are what we live by, most of us are affected by the trends, the fashion, and the culture of our surroundings. Off course, everybody wants to be in and fit in, yet have you ever asked yourself who decides what is in or not? That is why this is such a great tool of manipulation, we are restrained to a certain standard of life, which is what it is believed by many to be normal.

Yet, what is normal? Normal to you may be different to him or her. It depends on the definition you give it and adapt to it. In many places around the world it is normal to eat insects and bugs, here it is normal to eat meat, which is sacred to many others. So, this proves Heinrichs theory when he says, “Ideas become beliefs when people identify with them.” This is when you can see the different cultures or groups and stick with the one you fit in, due to that emotional and physical stability. So, in order to help turn an idea into a belief you must connect with your audience, therefore creating an unbreakable bond.

Towards the end of Chapter twenty, when the author starts talking about verbing, the inventing of words by turning verbs into nouns or nouns into verbs, really caught my attention. I then asked myself, out of all the many techniques exposed, why did the last one really get me hooked? After analyzing the situation, it is a technique I see and use in my daily life. Therefore, it is easy to sympathize with and made me remember of funny situations with my friends. By using a commonplace the author persuades me to continue reading and agree with him.

Especially in my generation, verbing became a daily thing. Many may say it’s for lazy mediocre, but for me it just makes life easier, for it is just practical. For example with my friends we say “chilear” which comes from chilling out or “chilea” which come from chill out. They are very similar words yet, with different meanings according to the situation.

Verbing is strongly disliked by language conservatives, but as stated in this book “Verbing weirds language.” Shakespeare loved this technique: he exceeded more than 21,000 words by weirding language. For, I don’t see why not be creative if others can understand you and create a strong bond.

Also, Heinrich talks about the word “Like” I think it is the word most used by teens now days. I personally thought it was not eloquent to use, it sounds very informal, yet like everything you have to know how and when to use it. This quote explains very well how to use like, “It impacts language wellness. But we shouldn’t banish the place-filling like altogether.” So, depending on the purpose of the like it can benefit you. A simple word like “like” is a meaningless word you can give a meaning to. So, learn how to use, and when to use because it is this generations place filler.