The way of communication creates reality. Is the glass half empty, or is it half full?
Shall we frame our story around the incredible loss of native rain-forests due to mining activities, or better around the success of the local farmer cooperative that has won the battle against the mining industry and is now reforesting the land?
Our brains are very susceptible to negative frames related to losses, costs, and sacrifice. People react to it with denial of the facts as they cannot personally cope with the heaviness of the events and their limited ability to react. Whereas a positive framing — the success of the local farmers — is more likely to reach people and catalyze activities.
Take away:
- Avoid an overload of negativity in your communication, as it creates denial.
