The unsuspected power of words
Although we often wield words without really paying attention to them, we can also deploy them in a more deliberate manner. How can we lean on recent advances in the field of linguistics to use the keywords that have the ability to open doors?
What does the power of words come down to? For a long time, this question was answered by rhetoric—which says that it is based above all on the clear articulation of a logical discourse, on the quality of the relationship established by a speaker with their audience, on their charisma and stature, etc. Numerous communication techniques draw on this theoretical foundation. Tried and tested since antiquity, they still remain valid.
But today, thanks to the advances of statistical tools, linguistics provides a new, complementary answer—according to which the power of words lies in certain words themselves. Words that, subtly, act on our deepest psychological levers, activating the mechanisms of attention, consideration, empathy, or even willpower. If the science of language has arrived at these conclusions, it is first and foremost because it has undergone in recent decades a revolution that some authors compare to the invention of the microscope for biology. Indeed, a real turning point came with the digitization of huge volumes of text and the machine learning that enables them to be processed in bulk.
These technological developments make it possible to test the replacement of one word by another, to apply a tiny variation, and then measure its effects on a large scale. With sometimes impressive results: adding more prepositions to a cover letter boosts its chances of leading to a job interview by 24%; write “I recommend this book” rather than “I liked this book” in a customer review, and its influence on sales will increase by 32%. A simple change in the choice of words can thus have an impact on the perceived value of a product, on a person’s employability, or even on a company’s market capitalization.
These insights shine precious light on ways to improve the effectiveness of your communication. Depending on the context and the issues at stake—stimulating attention, demonstrating assertiveness or empathy, inspiring a change in behavior, or even talking to yourself—certain words are best avoided, while others, on the contrary, will prove to be valued allies.
In this synopsis:
– Choosing your words for effective questioning
– Stengthening your impact through the choice of words
– Reformulating your inner dialogue to steer it to your advantage
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See also
Three sources of misunderstanding to overcome for better communicating
Developing the quality of your communication by avoiding misunderstandings.
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