Framing

George Lakoff

"Language always comes with what is called "framing." Every word is defined relative to a conceptual framework. If you have something like "revolt," that implies a population that is being ruled unfairly, or assumes it is being ruled unfairly, and that they are throwing off their rulers, which would be considered a good thing. That's a frame." - George Lakoff.  

Would You Help?

We has humans are forced and/or crave to frame the world, our thoughts, and our words. If we did not frame things around us then every day would be the same mundane activity after another. Everyday we block out things that we do not want to see like a man standing on the side of the road holding a sign saying, “Homeless will work for food.” Do not get the wrong idea, I realize that most of us do realize and give the man something but most do not. We instead frame around him to make the world a better place. This is an example of humans seeing what they want to see and hearing want they want to hear. I am sure there are people who do not have the same view as I do but I honestly think most people agree with the fact that as humans we block unpleasant things out of our sight like a tunnel with the light at the end with nothing but enjoyable outcomes and happy endings.

Another way that we have became accustom to  framing is in advertisements. One of my favorite ads I have ever seen was a billboard that I saw with a Corona on one side and a lime on the other. In between the two items there was the words “Separation Anxiety” and from that moment on I have never seen someone with a Corona that did not have a lime in it. I know you are probably thinking that most people have a lime with their  Corona but it never clicked in my brain that that slice of lime was meant for the Corona.  I was watching the PBS Frontline: The Persuaders and one thing that jumped out to me was that advertisement companies are trying to break out of the clutter. Is advertising the only genre of businesses or even everyday life that is trying to break out of the clutter? Of course not!  Every corporate company is trying to be different to persuade people into a new trend, but when they are successful other companies join in and make something similar and then we have a whole world of clutter. For examples, we have the Android and iPhone, which in the end they are the exact same phone but different services. The other example would be the new iPad, Kindle, and the Nook. These incredible devices were invented to make travel with a computer, books, and movies more accessible.

 

Framing is the most common things known to humans but most of us do not even know we are experience framing in everyday life.