Cold Reading Summary (C18): Linguistic Presuppositions

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A linguistic presupposition is an assumption that is taken for granted in a conversation. 

For example, if someone says, "Maria stopped playing the piano," it means Maria used to play the piano. This belief is assumed to be true without needing to explain it.

We unconsciously use linguistic presuppositions in everyday life, but generally in a defensive manner.

For example, we may have certain beliefs that are challenged in a conversation, but for whatever reason, we don’t want to defend them directly, so we hide them in linguistic propositions. This is because many of our beliefs are based on social proof and authority, and we don’t really know how to defend them if under direct scrutiny. 

Imagine someone says, "It’s common knowledge that working late leads to burnout." 

The hidden belief is, "I believe working late is bad for health, but I’m not sure how to argue against it." By framing it as "common knowledge," you avoid having to defend the belief directly.

Linguistic presuppositions are not only for covering up beliefs. We also constantly use them to cover up ideas, such as fears and assumptions we have about others. 

Train your mind to see when people are using linguistic presuppositions and it will enhance your cold reading skills. It is like having x-ray vision into the inner workings of someone’s mind.

Here are some more sentence starters that can indicate a linguistic presupposition:

• A lot of experts agree that...

• People often believe that...

• It’s widely accepted that...

• Most of my friends think that...

• Many studies suggest that...

• I've heard from several sources that...

• It's generally thought that...

• A majority of people believe that... 

• Everyone I know says that…

• It’s common knowledge that…

• Many people say that…

Some people will not like you exposing their true beliefs and ideas, but don’t let that deter you.

The upside of learning how to use this is that you will gain the ability to slip any idea into the mind of others.

Social proof in sales is an excellent example of using linguistic presuppositions.

Imagine you’re selling a widget. You might say “This widget is popular. Many people have purchased it and are happy with it.” 

This is a basic use of social proof. Most likely, assuming the customer didn’t know much about the world of widgets, they'd be thinking, “is it really popular, or is this guy just making stuff up?”

Now consider a different approach:

“This is one of the more popular widgets. One of the reasons it’s been popular for so long is that the findankle inside it is the highest quality you can get.”

This version embeds the idea that the widget is popular, as opposed to just stating it plainly. The words “One of the reasons it’s been popular” presupposes that it’s popular for multiple reasons. Your customer doesn’t know exactly how many reasons there are or what those reasons are. His subconscious mind will fixate on these vague ideas.

Just using one presupposition may not sell your widget, but string them together and you’ll have a very powerful sales pitch.

Read the next chapter here.

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