Seeding Ideas in Politics: Subtle Influence in Public Discourse

Seeding ideas in politics is a sophisticated strategy that parallels the techniques used by Milton H. Erickson in psychotherapy. In both realms, the goal is to influence thoughts, beliefs, or behaviors over time without using direct, confrontational methods. Instead, subtle suggestions, repetition of themes, and indirect messaging are employed to allow the audience to internalize the desired ideas at their own pace.

Just as in Ericksonian hypnosis, political seeding focuses on planting concepts that, over time, influence public opinion, voting behavior, or policy support. Let’s explore how this technique is applied in political contexts, and compare it to Erickson’s methods.

What is Political Seeding?

In politics, seeding ideas involves introducing concepts or narratives into the public discourse in a subtle, non-confrontational way, allowing them to take root over time. Politicians, media, and strategists may plant seeds in speeches, advertisements, debates, and interviews, gradually shaping public perceptions or attitudes on specific issues. The key is not to force an immediate change in belief but to allow ideas to grow organically, shaping opinions without direct confrontation.

Examples of Seeding Ideas in Politics

Framing Narratives: One of the most common methods in political seeding is through framing narratives. Politicians often seed ideas by using recurring phrases or metaphors. For example, a politician might consistently refer to tax cuts as “empowering small businesses” or “protecting families.” Over time, the public begins to associate tax cuts with positive outcomes, even if the direct evidence isn't immediately clear.

This method is similar to how Erickson would tell stories with indirect suggestions. Instead of directly telling someone to change a behavior, the story allows the individual to make the connection themselves. In politics, framing narratives plants the association without demanding immediate agreement.

Repetition of Themes: Political campaigns often use repetition to subtly seed ideas. Repeating certain key messages—like “freedom,” “security,” or “draining the swamp”—across various platforms makes the ideas more familiar and accepted over time. This is akin to Erickson’s use of repeated metaphors and language patterns to seed therapeutic ideas in the unconscious mind. The more people hear a particular theme, the more it becomes part of their internal dialogue.

Take, for example, the repeated use of the phrase “Make America Great Again” in U.S. politics. By continually linking national pride with the idea of a return to greatness, the seed of dissatisfaction with the present state and nostalgia for the past is planted.

Ambiguity and Open Interpretation: Much like Erickson’s use of ambiguous language, political seeding often involves vague, open-ended statements that allow the public to fill in the blanks. Politicians may make statements like, “The system is rigged,” without specifying who is responsible or what exactly is rigged. This allows people from various political backgrounds to interpret the statement according to their own beliefs, while the seed of distrust in institutions or processes is planted.

Social Proof and Validation: In politics, seeding often involves the strategic use of social proof—showing that others (often respected figures or large groups) already believe in or endorse a particular idea. For example, a politician might subtly seed the idea that their policy is the popular or morally correct choice by showing celebrity endorsements, referencing polls, or highlighting support from respected organizations.

This mirrors Erickson’s method of utilizing existing beliefs or ideas that his clients already held to build on new concepts. Politicians do the same by starting with an idea the public already trusts and then extending it to the desired belief or policy.

Confusion and Distrust: Erickson used confusion techniques to disorient the conscious mind and make the unconscious more open to suggestion. Politicians sometimes employ similar tactics to undermine trust in opponents or institutions. By creating confusion around a specific issue—such as contradictory information about voter fraud or climate change—politicians can create enough doubt to subtly seed distrust in systems or opponents, allowing their narrative to take root.

How Erickson’s Techniques Compare to Political Seeding

Indirect Influence: Both in Ericksonian hypnosis and politics, the key is indirect influence. Erickson didn’t command clients to change; he led them to insights through stories, ambiguity, and subtle suggestions. Similarly, politicians seed ideas without overtly demanding agreement, allowing the public to adopt or reject the idea in their own time.

Repetition: Erickson used repetition in language patterns to reinforce ideas, much like politicians use repeated slogans or talking points to embed concepts into the public psyche. By hearing the same idea repeatedly, whether in therapy or political discourse, the idea becomes more accepted.

Utilization: Just as Erickson would use whatever the client brought into the session to build therapeutic suggestions, politicians often use current events, public concerns, or even their opponent’s arguments to plant their ideas more effectively.

Real-World Political Seeding Examples

"Hope and Change": During Barack Obama’s 2008 presidential campaign, the phrase “Hope and Change” became a central theme. Instead of specifying what those changes would be or how they would occur, the campaign allowed voters to project their own desires for the future onto this ambiguous but positive message. By seeding the idea of hope, the campaign built a broad coalition of support from people with different, often conflicting, hopes for the future.

Brexit: In the 2016 Brexit campaign, the idea of “taking back control” was seeded into the public discourse. The slogan was deliberately vague, allowing people to project their own frustrations and desires onto it. Whether it was about controlling borders, trade, or laws, voters could interpret “control” in ways that resonated with their personal views. The idea was seeded long before the referendum, growing into a powerful motivator for change.

Conclusion

Seeding ideas in politics is an art of subtle persuasion, much like the techniques employed by Milton Erickson in hypnotherapy. By planting suggestions through repetition, ambiguity, and storytelling, politicians can influence public opinion over time. This technique allows ideas to take root in the minds of voters, not through force or confrontation, but through gradual exposure and internal reflection. Whether in therapy or politics, the power of seeding ideas lies in its ability to facilitate change without resistance, leading people to conclusions they believe they’ve arrived at themselves.