That colleague who asks “How’s that project coming along?” might actually be evaluating your competence.Your friend who says “You know we all hang out at that new place downtown” could be trying to manipulate your social choices.The person who opens with “I’m curious about your decision to...” probably isn’t curious at all.What if you could decode these hidden messages instantly? What if you could recognise when someone is trying to control you through their questions, and know exactly how to respond? Even better, what if you could master these same techniques to become more influential in your own conversations?Welcome to the secret world of conversational power dynamics, where understanding the linguistics of questions gives you an almost unfair advantage in every interaction.The game of conversational power will continue whether you play it consciously or not. The question is: Will you keep getting blindsided by moves you don’t see coming, or will you master the rules that everyone else is playing by instinctively? This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit thestrategiclinguist.substack.com/subscribe

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“What did the council decide on item 42?” — answered with the speaker and the moment.

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