Don't Think of an Elephant: Know Your Values

George Lakoff talked about his book Don’t Think of an Elephant: Know Your Values and Frame the Debate: The Essential Guide for Progressives, published by Chelsea Green Publishing Company. He described the elemental differences between conservatives and progressives and traced the differences in political ideology between the parties to differences in the idealized family model. He said conservatives follow a “strict father” model while progressives follow a “nurturing parent” model, basing his findings on research he has conducted as a linguistics professor. He used the differences in these two models to “reframe” reactions to many current issues, such as Hurricane Katrina, Terri Schiavo, abortion, gay marriage, and the recent Supreme Court nominations. After his presentation the author answered audience members' questions. close