Unite and Concur Definitions
A SpeakStrong Glossary

Meryl Runion's list of SpeakStrong terms and their definitions
that we need to Unite & Concur

Absolute language
Absolute language is dominating language. Absolute talkers define issues in black and white terms and do not acknowledge the existence of subtleties. Absolute language creates a false-choice-dichotomy which distracts the listener from considering alternatives. That limits the debate to alternatives suggested by the absolute thinker. If someone asks if I prefer Coke or Pepsi, I may not consider the options of water or carrot juice

Accuracy Advocate
Accuracy Advocates speak up for precision and truth. Not only do they check information for accuracy before they pass it on, they let those who propagate false information know that their information is faulty, and request a higher standard of accuracy for future dialogue.

Aggressions’ law
Aggressions’ Law is my adaptation of the economic concept called Gresham’s Law. Aggressions’ Law says that erroneous arguments drown out accurate ones. Unprincipled diatribe drives out reason. She who is most ruthlessly committed to prevail wins, irregardless of the validity of her arguments.

Argumentum ad hominen
Argumentum ad hominen attacks the messenger instead of addressing the argument. That distracts from the logic of an argument by challenging their qualifications to make the argument.

Argumentum ad populum
(everyone agrees, bandwagon, tyranny of the majority)
Argumentum ad populum suggests that because a concept is popular, it must be true. Instead of addressing an idea on its merits, it considers endorsements as proof.

Argumentum ad Misericordiam
(Argument from pity, appeal to emotion)
I'll try not to confuse the issue with the facts... Argumentum ad Misericordiam suggests that someone’s opinion is valid because they deserve empathy. Argumentum ad Misericordiam is one of many appeals to emotion. Other appeals to emotion are appeal to guilt, shame, fear, anger etc.

Brainlet
Our brains consist of three brain systems – the Reptilian, Mammalian and Neocortical Brain Systems. I call the brainlets because it’s much friendlier than the phrase “brain system.”

CLEAR
CLEAR is the acronym for my recommended approach to dialogue: Consider, Learn, Explore, Assert, and Revise. Consider means allow yourself to try their ideas on and be willing for them to influence you. Learn and explore mean to examine the other person’s points with care. Assert means to say what you mean, and mean what you say, without being mean when you say it. Revise means to integrate the two perspectives, which leads you back to the beginning of the acronym.

Concerned Citizen
A concerned citizen takes ownership of democracy, and considers it their responsibility to play a role in making our shared government work. In this book I refer to a Concerned Citizen as someone who consciously plays a role in raising the effectiveness and civility of dialogue.

Concur
Concur means to work cooperatively to reach a meeting of the minds. It involves regarding the people in our lives as partners in trying to determine the truth and best course of action.

CURT
CURT is my acronym for the way many of us behave when discussing political and other hot-button issues. It stands for: Criticize, Undercut, Rebuke and Thwart. Instead of considering and allowing ourselves to be influenced by someone, the CURT communicator automatically looks for the flaws in their arguments. Instead of helping others make their point effectively, they undercut them. They censor and admonish others and do what they can to shut them down.

Debate
Debate means to engage in argument by discussing opposing points. The root is from debatre, to fight, contend, to beat down. Debate is based on the idea of opposition and contest.

Deception
Detective A Deception Detective is someone who had developed a trained, critical ear and uncovers fallacies, distortions and false logic.

Derailed conversation
A derailed conversation is one that loses track of its initial purpose. Conversations are derailed when people are triggered into Reptilian Regressions, Mammalian Meltdowns and Neocortical Apartheids and when assumptions override inquiry.

Dialogue
A dialogue is a conversation between two or more people that involves an exchange of ideas or opinions. It comes from the root: Dia Logus: “Through Words.” Dialogue involves equality among participants and involves the exchange of idea.

Diatribe
Diatribe is a bitter, sharply abusive denunciation, attack, or criticism. It comes from the Greek root: diatribe, pastime, lecture, and from diatribein, to consume, wear away. And that’s what it does.

Dichotomy
Dichotomy divides ideas and possibilities into two mutually exclusive, opposed, or contradictory groups. Dichotomy polarizes, separates and ignores subtleties.

Disempowerment
You disempower someone when you deprive them of influence and importance. In conversation, one party might disempower the other by judging or dismissing them.

Domination
Domination exercises control over another. In conversation, a dominator will apply pressure and other tactics to ensure that their opinions take precedence regardless of the merit or lack of merit of their arguments.

Fact Fanatic
A Fact Fanatic is committed to communicating based on substance and reality. Instead of accepting and passing on nonsense, they appraise the credibility of claims.

Fallacy Finder
A Fallacy Finder is skilled in observing and identifying logical fallacies. They use this skill to return the dialogue to a reasonable one.

Glittering generalities
Glittering generalities are a list of "positive, governing words" that GOP candidates were told to use when speaking about themselves or their policies.

In Complement
I use the term “in complement” as an antonym to the phrase “in common.” In common refers to similarities. In complement indicates differences in a way that suggests you complete each other.

Izzie
I call the Reptilian Brainlet Izzie. I named it Izzie because I use a stuffed lizard to represent that brainlet that was named Izzie by the manufacturer. (Sadly, Izzie has been discontinued.)

Mammalian Meltdown
A Mammalian Meltdown is the term I use to describe what happens when the Webby, mammalian brainlet dominates, overshadowing input from the reptilian or neocortical brainlet.

Neocortical Apartheid
This is the term I use for when the neocortical brainlet isolates and ignores input from the reptilian and mammalian brainlet.

Personalization
The victim personalizer treats challenges to ideas as personal attacks. The bully personalizer attacks the character or qualifications of the commenter. Both personalizers avoid addressing issues on their own merit.

PowerPhrase
A short, specific, targeted phrase that says what you mean and means what you say without being mean when you say it.

Reptilian Regression
When the primal, reptilian brainlet dominates, I call it a Reptilian Regression.

Serenity Affirmation
The Serenity Affirmation is an adaptation of the Serenity Prayer for secular applications. It states: “I have the serenity to accept the things I cannot change, the courage to change the things I can and the wisdom to know the difference.”

Slippery slope
(runaway train, overall generalization)
Slippery slope arguments suggest that a small step in any direction will lead to planetary destruction and/or global depravity. It argues that the first step must be avoided to avoid the extreme outcome.

Snopes
Snopes is one of the better known and most trusted urban myth evaluation resources. www.snopes.com

SpeakStrong
What you do when you say what you mean, and mean what you say, without being mean when you say it.

Straw man argument
Straw man arguments misrepresent the other’s position in ways that are easy to dispute, and then argue against that manufactured claim or request that no one actually makes.

Synergnyms
A word I created to suggest a balance between two extremes.

Systems Problem
Systems problems are problems that result from flawed systems rather than the actions individuals who are trying to implement the flawed system.

The Prof
The Prof is my nickname for the neocortical brain. This is the intellectual brain.

Third-wit
When one of your three brains dominates, you are operating as a “thirdwit.”

Triune Brain
The theory that our brain consists of three brains that develop in sequence. The primal reptilian brainlet is the first to develop, the emotional mammalian brainlet is the second and the intellectual neocortical brainlet is the third.

Truth Sleuth
The Truth Sleuth listens openly to what others say with the intent to separate spin from substance.

Unwarranted
Something unwarranted is unjustifiable and superfluous. An unwarranted assumption is an assumption that others don’t share.

Voice of Reason
A person who is the Voice of Reason advocates for reasonable dialogue.

Webby
I nicknamed the mammalian, emotional brain Webby because it starts with the word “we” and creates connections. Yeah but you When people defensively throw arguments back at the person making them, I say they’re Yeah-but-you-ing them. I also refer to the tactic as examining the speck in your eye when you want to discuss the beam in theirs

 

 

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