In the last month, I've used general semantics in discussing personal problems friends of mine have had.

Much of my application of general semantics comes in the form of getting down to the facts of a friend's situation, when she is wanting to talk emotionally about a situation.

For example, friends tend to want to employ absolutisms when talking about their situations. "I have no choice." "Nobody calls me." Expressions like those. I point out to them that those aren't factual statements. I usually refute the statements by pointing out one example that goes against the emotional statements ("You choose to go to a stressful job"; "I called you"; etc.), which is evidence that their statements are false. I then go on to point out in some way that if they insist on making those absolute statements, they are deluding themselves and they are not talking factually.

I tend to advise against my friends' making absolute statements. I can be an annoying friend because of my heightened awareness of these statements, especially when my friends are distressed. My belief is that absolute statements tend to add despair to someone's already desperate situation, and that the friends should stop it if they want to improve their despair a bit.

How have you used GS in the last month?