feel felt found: bullshit

Have I mentioned here yet how much I love my classes? God, they're good.

Today in rhetoric, we were talking about bullshit and one of my students has a bit of experience with one of the branches of the U.S. military. Shall I keep it anonymous? Oh, it's pretty easy to figure out which one it is. Anyway, she told us a formula she learned to use as a recruiter. Any objection can be overcome by using the feel, felt, found formula. Here's how it works.

18-year-old: I'm afraid to go to war.

Recruiter: I understand how you feel. Others have felt that way before. What they've found is...bullshit bullshit bullshit.

26-year-old: I don't want to leave my wife and children behind.

Recruiter: I understand how you feel. Others have felt that way before. What they've found is...bullshit bullshit bullshit.

You get the picture. What I just love about this is how it preys on the basest human needs: we need to feel a) understood; and b) like we're not alone. And it doesn't hurt to be told that others have found a rosy solution to their dilemmas.

I am in the right field. I am. Love this shit.