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So you come back for more and now to learn about NLP Comparative Deletion. Great! In this article we will zoom in in what Comparative Deletion is and explore it even deeper. We will provide you with some examples and most important of all, give you some hints about an exercise with NLP Comparative Deletion. Besides that we will give you some hints where to find more information about this pattern. As usual, Happy Days, Happy Reading, Happy Learning!

What is NLP Comparative Deletion?

In NLP Comparative Deletion is any statement wherein a comparison is implied or given. But where one side of the comparison is omitted. 

When you accept a statement without understanding what’s behind it, you get stuck. Many “self esteem” issues come from deciding someone is better or more worthy at a general level rather than questioning the standard. “Better at what specifically?” If you don’t know what the standard is, how can you improve or disregard it?

Filling in the question with an answer without challenging the question, will result in a mind read again. Better is it to challenge the question to gain more knowledge what is behind it.  NLP Comparative Deletion.

Vague comparisons use words like better, best, harder, faster, stronger, improved, more, less, very, bigger, smaller, brighter, louder, healthier, superior, smarter, enhanced. Marketers love these terms in commercials and advertisements. They slip in a percentage together with the comparison so it sounds more credible. Did you catch the deletion in the last sentence – more credible than what?

Some exploration of the NLP Comparative Deletion

To explore NLP Comparative Deletion more in depth, lets take the following statement as an example: 

“I like this dish much more”. 

This statement, we can challenge in two ways. First we can elicit the other side of the comparison, which is unknown, by asking “Than which other dish, specifically?” The answer results in to provide you the answer to what is deleted prior to the statement. You can also walk the pathway of finding the constraints of the comparison by asking “You like this dish much more under what conditions?” The answer to this question will deliver you information on the constraints (or conditions) where he or she likes the dish more. NLP Comparative Deletion.

And some examples of NLP Comparative Deletion

Below some examples follow of Comparative Deletions, followed by their question to elicit the other side of the comparison and to find the constraints of the comparison: 

  • You are twice as slow – Twice as slow compared to whom? – Twice as slow when?
  • This one is a bit less green – Less green than what? – Less greener when?
  • He listens less – Less than whom? – Listens less when?

Make yourself Better: An exercise with NLP Comparative Deletion

To exercise, write down 20 Comparative Deletions. Start listening to every discussion, chitchat or small talk you hear today. Pay attention to any conversation between people what Comparative Deletions they make. Only listen, remember and write them down. NLP Comparative Deletion.

More Information on NLP Comparative Deletion

More Information on NLP Comparative Deletion

In NLP Comparative Deletion is part of the higher chunk called Deletion which is part of the Meta Model.

Last but not Least

Remember, to increase your efficiency as a NLP Practitioner, know your positive intention for the message you want to convey, build rapport and pay attention on what and how you use language. Leave people and business in a better place that where you found them, every day!  NLP Comparative Deletion.

Mind Tools provides NLP Practitioner and NLP Master Practitioner Trainings and Certifications. We educate you according to the renowned, latest and highest standards set by the Society of NLP. We will train you thoroughly in all the corners of Neuro-Linguistic Programming and some extras we learned from Dr. Richard Bandler directly.

This article about NLP Comparative Deletion answers these questions:

What is Comparative Deletion in NLP?

In Neuro-Linguistic Programming (NLP), a Comparative Deletion is a statement where a comparison is made, but one side of that comparison has been left out. For example, saying “This dish is much better” is a comparative deletion because the speaker omits what the dish is actually being compared to. When the standard of a comparison is deleted, the listener is forced to “mind-read” to fill in the blank.

Comparative deletions rely on vague comparison words such as better, faster, stronger, less, superior, smarter, enhanced, or more . Common spoken examples include:

  • “You are twice as slow.” (Missing context: Twice as slow compared to whom?)
  • “This one is a bit less green.” (Missing context: Less green than what?)
  • “He listens less.” (Missing context: Less than he used to, or less than someone else?)

According to NLP practitioners, you can challenge a comparative deletion using two specific pathways:

  • Elicit the missing side: Ask what is on the other side of the scale (eg, if someone says “I like this dish much more,” you ask: “Than which other dish, specifically?” )
  • Find the constraints: Ask for the specific conditions of the statement (eg, “You like this dish much more under what conditions?” or “…when?” )
Recognizing comparative deletions is vital for protecting your self-esteem and navigating marketing manipulation. In daily life, accepting vague standards like “someone else is better” causes mental roadblocks unless you stop to ask: “Better at what, specifically?” Furthermore, advertisers frequently use comparative deletions (eg, “Now 20% more effective!” ) to sound highly credible to consumers without ever actually stating what their product is more effective than .

In the study of Neuro-Linguistic Programming, Comparative Deletion belongs to a higher linguistic chunk known simply as Deletion . This sits directly inside the NLP Meta Model —a framework used by practitioners to analyze spoken language, recover missing information, build rapport, and help people communicate with higher efficiency.

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