Endorsements are a normal part of public life.
In a previous reflection, we looked more broadly at what to notice when leaders make endorsements.
They can be helpful.
They can offer guidance.
They can simplify complex decisions.
But some endorsements use language that asks more of us than trust.
In highly persuasive environments, that shift can happen subtly and quickly.
They ask us to stop seeing people as people.
That’s often a moment worth pausing on.
Dehumanizing language is one of the more powerful techniques used in persuasive messaging, including propaganda.
What Dehumanizing Language Looks Like
Dehumanizing language doesn’t always sound extreme.
Sometimes it shows up quietly, woven into otherwise confident statements.
It often involves:
- reducing people to labels
- describing groups as threats, burdens, or problems
- referring to people as forces, animals, or objects
- removing individuality in favor of a single negative trait
The common thread is this:
people are talked about as something less than human.
Why This Matters in Endorsements
When a leader or public figure makes an endorsement, their words carry authority.
If that authority is paired with dehumanizing language, it can:
- lower empathy
- justify harm or exclusion
- make extreme responses feel reasonable
- discourage curiosity about real experiences
Over time, repeated exposure to this kind of framing can gradually reshape perception, something explored further in what happens when we hear dehumanizing language over time.
This doesn’t mean the endorsement is automatically wrong.
It means the language choice is doing more than recommending an idea.
Dehumanization Often Signals Pressure
Dehumanizing language tends to appear when:
- the message needs urgency
- disagreement feels risky
- complexity would slow momentum
When nuance is removed entirely, certainty often takes its place, a pattern discussed in when we stop asking, “What if I’m wrong?”
By simplifying people into categories, language removes friction.
And friction – questions, empathy, nuance – is often what healthy decision making needs most.
What Healthy Endorsements Usually Avoid
Endorsements that respect listeners tend to:
- describe actions rather than identities
- acknowledge uncertainty or tradeoffs
- keep criticism focused on ideas or policies
- avoid language that strips dignity from others
They may still be persuasive but they leave room for thought.
Questions To Ask When This Language Appears
When you notice dehumanizing language in an endorsement, it can help to quietly ask:
- Who is being reduced or flattened here?
- What emotion is this language trying to trigger?
- What understanding might be lost by describing people this way?
- Would this message still work if everyone involved were spoken about with dignity?
These questions aren’t about choosing sides.
They’re about choosing awareness.
A Takeaway
Endorsements don’t just tell us what to support.
They show us how the speaker sees the people affected by their support.
When language removes humanity, it’s often worth slowing down, not to reject the message, but to examine what’s being asked of us emotionally.
Noticing that moment gives us back choice.
In persuasive public messaging, the tone of an endorsement can matter as much as the position itself.
<3 Pip
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