Discourse Bestiary

30 expressions that command any room — locked into memory with the Bestiary system. 6 lessons, 5 creatures each, one complete speaking toolkit.

1
Frame
Open with composure — buy time, weigh up, reframe, caveat.
1
Frame New
FRAME — Open with Authority
5 expressions for buying time, weighing options, introducing possibilities, reframing, and adding caveats.
Numbat → Bat → Cow → Frogmouth → Camel
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2
Position
Build arguments — state your stance, cite evidence, explain, defend.
2
Position New
POSITION — Build Your Argument
5 expressions for stating your stance, citing evidence, explaining implications, acknowledging counterpoints, and strengthening reasoning.
Polar Bear → Elephant → Praying Mantis → Tapir → Stingray
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3
Navigate
Handle pushback — redirect, challenge, agree to disagree.
3
Navigate New
NAVIGATE — Handle Pushback
5 expressions for acknowledging then redirecting, offering alternatives, pushing back diplomatically, playing devil's advocate, and agreeing to disagree.
Seahorse → Angel → Puffin → Platypus → Agaric Fungi
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4
Qualify
Calibrate certainty — hypothesise, predict, keep options open.
4
Qualify New
QUALIFY — Calibrate Certainty
5 expressions for introducing possibilities, hypothetical consequences, expressing probability, keeping options open, and forecasting outcomes.
Emu → Weasel → Lionfish → Wolverine → Walrus
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5
Connect
Sustain extended turns — build, circle back, synthesise.
5
Connect New
CONNECT — Sustain the Turn
5 expressions for building on points, circling back, synthesising themes, naming throughlines, and elevating to broader principles.
Buffalo → Cicada → Tiger → Thorny Devil → Quail
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6
Command
Drive outcomes under pressure — direct, propose, summarise.
6
Command New
COMMAND — Drive Outcomes
5 expressions for directness, bottom-line clarity, making asks, proposing solutions, and summarising takeaways.
Dingo → Boar → Newt → Hedgehog → Sunbird
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