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Don't Vote

No, this isn't a political statement.

It's a peek inside the world of influence using "negative" commands.

Evidently, Hollywood stars are using the phrase "Don't Vote" to encourage people to register and vote. Notice Your Own Response

I don't know about you, but my first response to "Don't Vote" was rebellious. "Who are you to tell me not to vote!" It was almost instantaneous.

Ever told a child: "Don't play with that?" They are compelled to try to play with it.

Negative Commands

In the world of influence, phrases like "Don't Vote" are negative commands. They trigger the action and desire to "vote" or whatever comes after the word "don't".

The only way for the mind to understand these commands is to first make a picture, sound or feeling of doing the activity (voting, playing with the forbidden toy, etc.). Once you've had the experience of doing it, it's hard to cancel the experience, but that's what the "not" is trying to do.

It fails!

Remember these phrases:
"Don't do drugs"?
"Don't Drive Drunk!"

Oops!

I found negative commands especially useful when the kids were teenagers:

"Don't clean up your room."
"Don't come home early."
"Don't do your homework before dinner."

Get the idea?

Here's My Point

Negative commands can be very useful. They can also be misused.

Don't think about how much fun you can have playing with "negative" commands.

And by all means, "Don't vote!"