The way we communicate our positions, stances, and meaning is more important than ever before. Often our words are misinterpreted and possibly taken out of context. That’s why it’s critical to become even more conscious of the way we communicate.
You may think that a single word will not make that much of a difference but consider this shallow example.
In 1984, The Terminator premiered. The iconic line from the movie became, “I’ll be back.” However, Arnold Schwarzenegger wanted to add a word. Since the lead character was a futuristic cyborg, he felt the language should be more robotic. He fought with director James Cameron over the issue, believing the terminator would not speak in contractions, but only with complete words.
Arnold wanted, “I will be back” instead of “I’ll be back.” Think for a moment of that thick Austrian accent and how cumbersome the line would feel with that single word change.
A word makes a difference.
What if Martin Luther King, JR proclaimed, “I have a wish” in place of “I have a dream?”
A word makes a difference.
After the mission to the moon, Neil Armstrong listened to his statement, “One small step for man. One giant leap for mankind.” He says that what he actually said was, “One small step for a man. One giant leap for mankind.”
A word makes a difference.
Today, we have those who want to replace Black Lives Matter with All Lives Matter.
A word makes a difference.
We can make the correct word choice extremely difficult or easy with a few thoughtful questions.
1. Is this the correct word?
This is easiest to ask when we have time to process and think. Opt on the side of clarity. Focus on words that explain rather than emote. “That’s interesting,” communicates something totally different than, “That’s ridiculous!” While at heart you may mean the same thing.
2. How does this word make people feel?
The wrong word can lend itself to a short fuse of emotional dynamite. If a leader says to a subordinate, “You embarrassed the firm at lunch. Let’s get together back at the office for a debriefing.” Embarrassed may be true. It may be accurate. Some people may receive it well, but for others, it could be a powder keg.
“You panned the firm at lunch. Let’s get together back at the office for a debriefing.” Since “panned” is not used often it doesn’t sting as much but still provides an opportunity for further conversation.
3. Will I regret this word years from now?
This is a tough one because no one knows how the future will interpret the past. Current culture combs the past to locate the unfortunate use of words, so it is crucial that we erase even joking language that could remotely be offensive.
If a word labels a people group, demographic, race, or identity in a less than a complimentary way, then don’t use it. If a defense of “I didn’t mean it that way” is ever in play — it reveals that we used a term that should have not been used in the first place.
A single word can make a difference. As we become more conscious of our language, let’s become more intentional in the words we use and the impact they have.
Are you paying attention to your words?
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Photo Credit: @aaronburden on Unsplash