BS: DON'T think of a white elephant

Subject: BS: DON'T think of a white elephant
From: *Laura*
Date: 12 Feb 05 - 10:14 AM

Well - did you?

Subject: RE: BS: DON'T think of a white elephant
From: Bee-dubya-ell
Date: 12 Feb 05 - 10:29 AM

No. I thought of a pink rhinocerous instead. Followed soon thereafter by a green zebra, a purple giraffe and a yellow oragutan. A white elephant never even crossed my mind.

Subject: RE: BS: DON'T think of a white elephant
From: DMcG
Date: 12 Feb 05 - 10:40 AM

No, neither did I. What I actually thought was "this is that whole business of framing questions, isn't it?"


The idea, as I understand it, is that simply that the very phrasing in the question limits the way you think about things. To take Bee-dubya-ell's response, while he avoided white elephants, he did not avoid colour-animal as a group. So ideas like 'tall elephant' and 'red rose' were excluded, never mind 'a storm-swept seascape with a lighthouse in the distance and the back of someone watching the sea is an ambigous fashion'.

Subject: RE: BS: DON'T think of a white elephant
From: Bill D
Date: 12 Feb 05 - 10:47 AM

This is a short version of an old demonstration of a principle of psychology. 45 years ago, my Intro to Psyc. professor, N.H. Pronko, asked a girl in class.."Would you like a new dress? I'll buy you one IF the next time I say "pebble" you don't think of "crocodile"....."

Well, of course, no one in that class has ever heard 'pebble' again without thinking of crocodile.

Used differently, this technique is a useful memory device.

Subject: RE: BS: DON'T think of a white elephant
From: Chris Green
Date: 12 Feb 05 - 10:51 AM

The first thing to pop into my head was the Millenium Dome!

Subject: RE: BS: DON'T think of a white elephant
From: Liz the Squeak
Date: 12 Feb 05 - 10:54 AM

That's funny, I thought of Camilla......

LTS

Subject: RE: BS: DON'T think of a white elephant
From: Donuel
Date: 12 Feb 05 - 11:00 AM

http://www.angelfire.com/md2/customviolins/leodvinci.jpg

Subject: RE: BS: DON'T think of a white elephant
From: michaelr
Date: 12 Feb 05 - 03:53 PM

What if there were no hypothetical situations?

Subject: RE: BS: DON'T think of a white elephant
From: Teresa
Date: 12 Feb 05 - 03:57 PM

Is that how the spatula thing worked too, bill? :)

Actually, the first thing I thought of was the Mudcat auction. :)

Subject: RE: BS: DON'T think of a white elephant
From: Peace
Date: 12 Feb 05 - 04:53 PM

Count on it.

Subject: RE: BS: DON'T think of a white elephant
From: Little Hawk
Date: 12 Feb 05 - 06:02 PM

AAAAAARRRRGHHH!

Very good *Laura*. You have neatly demonstrated why propaganda that tells kids NOT to use drugs and NOT to do various other things basically doesn't work!

One needs to give people something TO do to motivate them, not tell them what NOT to do...because they will never stop thinking about it, and most likely will do it eventually. :-)

michaelr - Brilliant! LOL!

Subject: RE: BS: DON'T think of a white elephant
From: Bert
Date: 12 Feb 05 - 07:45 PM

LOL Squeaks.

Subject: RE: BS: DON'T think of a white elephant
From: Bill D
Date: 12 Feb 05 - 07:50 PM

"My mother said not to put Beans in my Ears"

Subject: RE: BS: DON'T think of a white elephant
From: The Fooles Troupe
Date: 12 Feb 05 - 08:09 PM

What did you say Bill?


I've got beans in my ears....

Subject: RE: BS: DON'T think of a white elephant
From: GUEST,Uncle DaveO
Date: 13 Feb 05 - 09:47 AM

That reminds me of the ancient, infallible way to cure a hangover:

"Run three times around the house without thinking of a fox!"

Dave Oesterreich

Subject: RE: BS: DON'T think of a white elephant
From: skipy
Date: 13 Feb 05 - 06:03 PM

I can't help thinking about Sam Fox!
Skipy