When someone asks you a loaded question, use Gloria Steinem's powerful trick to reject their 'unfair framing,' says expert
Communication expert Dorie Clark calls it the "word trade" strategy. You can push back "without seeming defensive," she says. Here's how.
TL;DR
- Loaded questions often have a premise that the respondent disagrees with.
- Gloria Steinem famously used the 'word trade' technique on 'Meet the Press' in 1972.
- Steinem rejected the terms 'militant movement' and 'enemy,' reframing them as 'adversaries.'
- The 'word trade' strategy involves rejecting inaccurate terms and offering more accurate ones before answering a question.
- This technique allows you to push back against biased framing without seeming defensive.
- Examples of the 'word trade' include reframing 'stalled' to 'strategically moved the date,' 'lost the account' to 'chose not to renew,' and 'quiet' to 'listening carefully.'