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Substitution principle


Principles > Substitution principle

Principle | How it works | So what?
 

Principle

When I hear a story, I will substitute myself into the position of key story characters.

How it works

Empathy and identification

Whenever we hear or experience a story in which we feel empathy towards characters in the story, as a part of that experience of empathy, we put ourselves into the shoes of the other person, associating and identifying with them, seeing through their eyes and feeling something of their emotions.

Thus we substitute ourselves as other people in specific situations, and in doing so take on the broader characteristics, beliefs and values of those people.

Teaching tales

'Teaching tales' are deliberate story forms that seek to create learning, often through getting the person to associate with lead characters. Such stories are much easier to accept than teaching by telling the person what to do, as it allows them to save face.

So what?

Create stories, sentences and situations into which people are encouraged to put themselves. Do this with generalized statements about people or using sympathetic characters with whom the other person will identify.

Substitute the other person yourself into a story, telling them how similar what they have done, are doing or will do, is to another person you know. This binds together the other person and the character in your story. Then tell more about the story person and about what they did that failed and what they did that worked.

See also

Specificity principle, Alignment principle, Empathy

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Site Menu

| Home | Top | Quick Links | Settings |

Main sections: | Disciplines | Techniques | Principles | Explanations | Theories |

Other sections: | Blog! | Quotes | Guest articles | Analysis | Books | Help |

More pages: | Contact | Caveat | About | Students | Webmasters | Awards | Guestbook | Feedback | Sitemap | Changes |

Settings: | Computer layout | Mobile layout | Small font | Medium font | Large font | Translate |

 

 

Please help and share:

 

Quick links

Disciplines

* Argument
* Brand management
* Change Management
* Coaching
* Communication
* Counseling
* Game Design
* Human Resources
* Job-finding
* Leadership
* Marketing
* Politics
* Propaganda
* Rhetoric
* Negotiation
* Psychoanalysis
* Sales
* Sociology
* Storytelling
* Teaching
* Warfare
* Workplace design

Techniques

* Assertiveness
* Body language
* Change techniques
* Closing techniques
* Conversation
* Confidence tricks
* Conversion
* Creative techniques
* General techniques
* Happiness
* Hypnotism
* Interrogation
* Language
* Listening
* Negotiation tactics
* Objection handling
* Propaganda
* Problem-solving
* Public speaking
* Questioning
* Using repetition
* Resisting persuasion
* Self-development
* Sequential requests
* Storytelling
* Stress Management
* Tipping
* Using humor
* Willpower

Principles

+ Principles

Explanations

* Behaviors
* Beliefs
* Brain stuff
* Conditioning
* Coping Mechanisms
* Critical Theory
* Culture
* Decisions
* Emotions
* Evolution
* Gender
* Games
* Groups
* Habit
* Identity
* Learning
* Meaning
* Memory
* Motivation
* Models
* Needs
* Personality
* Power
* Preferences
* Research
* Relationships
* SIFT Model
* Social Research
* Stress
* Trust
* Values

Theories

* Alphabetic list
* Theory types

And

About
Guest Articles
Blog!
Books
Changes
Contact
Guestbook
Quotes
Students
Webmasters

 

| Home | Top | Menu | Quick Links |

© Changing Works 2002-
Massive Content — Maximum Speed