Ideas
Life Skills
Self Talk + Words We Use
22.12.16 |
| Every once in a while, I choose a word to eliminate from my vocabulary. |
Numerous studies show the effects of our thoughts on our psychological state, self-perception and world view. Our thoughts take shape primarily through the words we use to describe and process our lives (aka the sometimes incessant monologue in our heads). After all, we learn best through stories, and the stories that we tell ourselves - our "self talk" - are powerful in shaping our character. These stories become our reality.
What about words that we speak aloud? This study shows that the words one uses on social media are uncannily accurate predictors of one's age, gender and personality. If the words that we release into the world are a reflection of who we are, can we reverse-engineer it? In other words, if we modify how we speak, will this change who we are?
Cross-linguistic phenomena further highlight the effects of language on our view of the world. In Russian, there is an intrinsic linguistic distinction between lighter and darker shades of blue - there is no single word for blue, as it exists in English. In this study, English-speakers and Russian-speakers (all men, to control for gender-related variability of colour perception) were tested for their ability to discriminate between shades of blue. Unsurprisingly, Russian-speakers performed far better than English-speakers.
Back to my little exercise. In the past, I have eliminated "should/shouldn't", replacing these with "could". The words "should" and "shouldn't" carry an unnecessary layer of guilt, while "could" is a more emotionally neutral word that simply points out the possibilities. I decided that I would like less guilt in my life, so I cut out "should/shouldn't" I-Quit-Sugar style (ed. I have never read this book).
I have also tried replacing "but" with "and" wherever possible - saying "but" negates the statement that came before it. An example: saying "I love you, but I wish you could x" carries a starkly different tone to "I love you, and I wish you could x".
Recently, I am overusing the word "nice". It has become worn and threadbare, like a comfy sweater that is shapeless but oh-so safe. Because "nice" is a comfortable word - inoffensive, unobtrusive, insubstantial. It is a "fill-the-blank" - a reaction, rather than a communication.
In 2017, I want to eliminate the word "nice" from my vocabulary. I want to replace it with more interesting and descriptive words, and in this process, I hope to learn how to better articulate what I think and feel.
What words will shape you in 2017?
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