Advanced Language Advanced Language

Pattern Mastery Flash Pattern Mastery Flash

Cards Vol II:Cards Vol II:

Sleight of MouthSleight of Mouth

Matt CaulfieldMatt Caulfield

© 2012 Matt Caulfield

This entire document is copyright to Matt Caulfield. The right to sell it as a

book or ebook is strictly reserved.

Acknowledgements

These cards would not exist without the hard work and insight of some of the

geniuses and forerunners of NLP. In particular Richard Bandler, who’s

argumentative skills these patterns are based on, and Robert Dilts who

modelled and codified those patterns.

I must thank above everyone else Doug O’Brien who’s hard work in this area

has made the sleight of mouth patterns accessible and easy to understand,

learn and apply. If you wish to learn sleight of mouth, I highly recommend

Doug’s books and audio programmes, which you can purchase at

www.ericksonian.org.

Introduction

I produced the original set of “Advanced Language Pattern Cards” for myself

and then for the attendees on my NLP Practitioner trainings. The plan was

always to expand this deck into a second volume to cover the Sleight of

Mouth Patterns, and finally here they are.

To use these cards, print them out onto card (or print them on paper and stick

them to card), I have included a handy card back for you to use on them if you

wish! If you really want to you could even laminate them...

The secret is to use them every day, even if it is just one card for 5 minutes. If

you do that you will be surprised how quickly you master these patterns.

The great thing with having them as a pdf, rather than a hard copy, is if you

lose a card or your set becomes a bit tatty, you can just print out a new one!

I hope enjoy them and find them useful,

Matt Caulfield

Sleight of Mouth: A History

“Sleight of Mouth” is a system of language patterns for persuasion. The story

goes that Robert Dilts devised the patterns by modelling the argument and

persuasion skills of Richard Bandler. By breaking down the methods used by

Bandler, Dilts came up with 14 patterns.

The name "Sleight of Mouth" comes from the phrase "Sleight of Hand" which

refers to a magician's skills in making things happen which appear impossible.

Sleight of Mouth helps you change (or reinforce) peoples beliefs as if “by

magic”.

The Structure of Belief

Sleight of Mouth focuses on influence by challenging, changing or reinforcing

beliefs.

Sleight of looks at the two Meta Model Patterns of beliefs in more detail:

Cause-Effect: X causes Y, for example “if I eat chicken (CAUSE), it will make me sick (EFFECT)”. Complex Equivalence: X=Y, or X is equivalent to Y (the meaning a word or statement has to you). For example: “You're late again, which means you don't love me”. (Note that this is not just "I believe you don't love me", but rather there is something that leads to that outcome.) “I am not going to do that, [because] I am not that kind of person!”

Polya Patterns and the Structure of Beliefs

George Polya was a mathematician (much the same as Alfred Korzybski, the

developer of General Semantics) at Princeton who was curious about how

people came to believe something if it wasn’t provable. He referred to this

ability to believe in something as ‘plausibility’, he wanted to see how things

became so plausible, that at some point it becomes ‘true’ for that person.

He described five patterns of plausibly (We have simplified the description to

remove the complex mathematics. If you love maths feel free to dig out a copy

the book these came from: “Mathematics and Plausible Reasoning Vol II”):

1. The Meta Pattern: Probability

The likelihood that something will occur again based on its past performance.

The more something occurs the more we will tend to believe it will occur again

(the sun coming up for example).

Also, if something which is not very probably occurs it tends to validate the

case-effect belief which predicted it (pressing the button more often gets the

lift to come quicker)

2. Verification of a Consequence

If a particular belief (B) implies a particular consequence and we verify the

consequence (C) than it makes the belief more plausible.

>>> If B implies C and C is true then B is more credible. <<<

3. Contingency

If a belief (B) presupposes some event or phenomenon and we verify this

contingent event (C) then it makes the belief more plausible.

>>> If B presupposes C and C is true then B is more credible. <<<

Polya’s example is about criminal defence or prosecution and is believed to

have committed it, and that crime needs a contingent event and that event is

proven to have happened it makes it more plausible that the person

committed the crime.

Say someone is accused of holding up a store with a gun and the prosecution

demonstrates the person has a gun, then the possibility that they held up the

store seems more plausible.

4. Inference from Analogy

A belief (B) is more plausible if an analogous conjecture (A) is proven true.

>>> If B is analogous to A and A is true then B is more credible. <<<

This is where we draw comparisons to things that appear related, but aren’t.

If the analogy cannot be shown to be true but it can be shown to be credible

then it still increases the plausibility of the analogous belief.

Animal testing is the classic analogy. In fact much of science is based on

analogous testing...

5. Disprove the Converse

The plausibility of a belief increases is a rival conjecture is disproved.

This is the classic argumental process that the philosopher Nietzsche would

use. He would rubbish the challenging conjecture and then provide his own.

His own was often no more plausible, but because he has rubbished the

alternative his appeared more plausible.

6. Comparison With Random

If the belief can be shown to be able to predict results better than random

guessing then it is more credible.

Tips for Learning These Advanced Patterns

1. Us the Meta Model questions to recover the full belief before you begin.

You can see the Meta Model patterns in the “Advanced Language

Pattern Cards Vol. 1” (see www.mattcaulfield.co.uk).

2. You don’t need to learn the labels. They are the least important part of

these cards. It is more important to be able to recognise, generate and

know what to do with the patterns.

3. Set a goal, develop a plan and stick to it!

4. Start slowly (otherwise you may overwhelm yourself), just pick one

card a day to begin with and listen out for, and generate, that pattern.

5. Have FUN! Enjoying what you are doing will make you learn much

faster.

6. It must sound like naturally spoken, “normal”, language. If it sounds like

hypnotic mumbo jumbo, it will not be as effective.

7. Practice good tonality (for more information see “Developing You Dynamic Voice” audio programme at www.mattcaulfield.co.uk).

Suggested Beginner Exercises

1. Write down a list of as many beliefs as you can think of, either in the

Cause & Effect (this causes that) or Complex Equivalence (this means

that). The classic examples are:

• “Cancer causes death” • “Saying mean things, means you are a bad person” • “You being late means you don’t care about me”

• “Nuclear arms means strength, protection and safety”

But generate (or listen out for) your own examples.

2. Draw one cards at and random and use it generate 3-5 challenges or

counter examples.

3. Draw one card at and random and use it generate 3-5 suggestions that

can reinforce the belief.

4. Draw three (or more) cards and generate a counter examples (or

reinforcing suggestions) and form them into a coherent paragraph or

statement (or story if you pick the “Metaphor/Analogy” card).

5. If you hear a belief pattern REMEMBER you do not need to challenge

it, you can reinforce it too. However, it is good practice to think of a way

it could be challenged.

For many more suggestions on how to practice language pattern drills please see the “NLP Exercise Manual” at www.mattcaulfield.co.uk

CAUSE/EFFECT

will, will make, cause, requires, etc (X => Y)

“Positive thinking leads to unrealistic expectations”

META PATTERN Linguistic Structure of

Belief © Matt Caulfield

COMPLEX EQUIVALENCE

Making two different

experiences have the same meaning (X=Y)

“He doesn’t love me, he doesn’t buy me flowers”

META PATTERN Linguistic Structure of

Belief © Matt Caulfield

THE META PATTERN: Probability

The likelihood that

something will occur again based on its past

performance.

The sun coming up.

POLYA PATTERN

© Matt Caulfield

VERIFICATION OF

CONSEQUENCE

If a particular belief implies a particular

consequence and we verify the consequence than it makes the belief

more plausible.

POLYA PATTERN

© Matt Caulfield

CONTINGENCY

If a belief presupposes some event or

phenomenon and we verify this contingent event then it makes the belief more

plausible.

POLYA PATTERN

© Matt Caulfield

INFERENCE FROM

ANALOGY

A believe is more plausible if an analogous conjecture

is proven true.

This is where we draw comparisons to things that appear related, but aren’t.

POLYA PATTERN

© Matt Caulfield

DISPROVE THE CONVERSE

The plausibility of a

belief increases as a rival conjecture is

disproved.

POLYA PATTERN

© Matt Caulfield

COMPARISON WITH RANDOM

If the belief can be

shown to be able to predict results better

than random guessing then it is more credible.

POLYA PATTERN

© Matt Caulfield

INTENT

What makes them make this statement?

Concentrate on the intention behind it.

Highlight the positive

function of the idea, or challenge the negative

one.

SLEIGHT OF

MOUTH © Matt Caulfield

CONSEQUENCES

Look for the

consequence (even an unintentional

consequence) which can lead to the belief

being challenged.

SLEIGHT OF MOUTH

© Matt Caulfield

ANOTHER OUTCOME

Offer an alternative

outcome of the belief.

“Maybe you don’t need ABC, maybe you need

XYZ?”

SLEIGHT OF MOUTH

© Matt Caulfield

COUNTER-EXAMPLE

Use an exception

where their statement would not be true

(useful if the structure of the belief includes a (Universal) Quantifier

as evidence to that belief).

SLEIGHT OF MOUTH

© Matt Caulfield

APPLY TO SELF

Turn the comment around onto them - by

saying (or implying) the consequence they

suggest is applicable for you, really is

applicable for them.

SLEIGHT OF MOUTH

© Matt Caulfield

REALITY STRATEGY

Delve behind the belief

to their perceptions about the world. Challenge the

perceptions the belief is based on.

SLEIGHT OF MOUTH

© Matt Caulfield

MODEL OF THE WORLD

Demonstrate that the

belief is only true in their understanding or model

of the world. Give alternative models as

counter examples.

SLEIGHT OF MOUTH

© Matt Caulfield

META FRAME

Challenge the basis behind the belief, rather

than the belief.

This can be a rather aggressive attack. It is

“an all” out strategy, don’t use it lightly!

SLEIGHT OF MOUTH

© Matt Caulfield

CHANGE FRAME SIZE

Extend the implications from the belief to some

bigger (or perhaps a more compact) scale in

order to a bigger (or shorter) time period.

SLEIGHT OF MOUTH

© Matt Caulfield

HIERARCHY OF CRITERIA

Challenge the idea according to more essential criteria, recommending

something more important they must be

thinking about.

SLEIGHT OF MOUTH

© Matt Caulfield

CHUNK DOWN

Much like a lose thread can unravel a knitted

jumper. Chunking down to a specific part of the belief and pulling that apart can unravel the

whole belief.

SLEIGHT OF MOUTH

© Matt Caulfield

METAPHOR OR ANALOGY

Using an example, story or demonstration to challenge the belief.

SLEIGHT OF MOUTH

© Matt Caulfield

CHUNK (BLOW) UP

Exaggerate the belief to an absurd level in order to challenge it. Taking it out of the context it is in.

SLEIGHT OF MOUTH

© Matt Caulfield

REDEFINE

Redefine the meaning of the words used in the structure of the belief.

You can redefine the cause or effect or the

resulting meaning (complex equivalence).

SLEIGHT OF MOUTH

© Matt Caulfield

TIMELINE Challenge the belief on the basis of when and how long it holds true.

(ADDITIONAL) SLEIGHT OF

MOUTH © Matt Caulfield

REDIRECT

Attack the belief by questioning the

underlying beneficial motives.

(ADDITIONAL) SLEIGHT OF

MOUTH © Matt Caulfield

Card back to cut out and stick to your cards!