Measuring one’s words

Some public figures take great care with their words. Did you ever listen to former Federal Reserve Chair and Secretary of the Treasury Janet Yellin? While holding those posts, she spoke in staccato, every word measured, knowing a single inarticulate choice could move markets. President Barack Obama also spoke carefully, often pausing mid-sentence, assessing his impact before continuing.

A statue of the American writer Mark Twain (1835-1910). Among his many famous quotes: “I didnt have time to write a short letter. So I wrote a long one instead”

Sadly, many Americans seem to dislike this trait, interpreting careful language as calculating, condescending, and phony.  This is evident in the adulation that Trump supporters have for the President’s Incautious and voluminous speech. It is celebrated as “authentic”.  Spontaneous, ill-considered speech does suggest to listeners that they are hearing the true thoughts of the speaker. But good leaders also understand the power of words to cause harm, lose friends and allies, and create unintended consequences.

Less is more

The most famous speech in American history is the Gettysburg address, delivered by Abraham Lincoln after a dramatic but costly Union victory in the civil war. It is admired because it fully contextualized a momentous historical turning point in just 121 words. In the 19th century, speeches of prominent politicians were expected to be long. Lincoln’s brevity shocked many, but his speech endures while long-winded ones of his contemporaries are forgotten.

This phenomenon, where words take on more significance by their paucity, is evident in the workplace as well.   For my work I regularly attend scientific conferences. These typically allow time for unstructured discussion, to advance a discipline by free exchange of ideas. Without an adept moderator, one or two people can monopolize the conversation but convey little new information. Many in the room could contribute to the conversation but are silenced by their own reticence. Then there are a few who don’t say much, but when they do, everyone turns to listen.

The power of understatement

Another paradox of speech is that superlatives such as “highly”, “incredibly”, and “extremely”, added to underscore an important point, instead serve to undermine that point. These common qualifiers give the careful listener or reader the impression that they are being sold an idea or product that is otherwise unconvincing.  Elimination of superlatives allows listeners to decide an idea’s significance for themselves, leaving a more enduring impression.

Word inflation as a political tool

The purpose of speech is not always to inform and communicate.  It may also be used to entertain, gossip, or manipulate. Can Americans tell the difference? Increasing the volume of pronouncements in order to obscure their meaning is a well-developed strategy of the Trump White House. Confuse and paralyze critics by turning up the rate of word production so high that nothing can be absorbed.  It is like hyperinflation, where people may walk into a store with a wheelbarrow full of cash that rapidly becomes worthless. The more you listen to this administration, the less you will know.  

2 responses to “Measuring one’s words”

  1. Amelia Avatar
    Amelia

    Sometimes if I feel my thoughts are not well-formed enough or not intentional enough to be said as well as I want them to, prompting my decision to not speak at all in such moments. If I don’t speak, though, I fear I may be perceived as not having thoughts in the first place. The default of many current political figures seems to be to speak without hesitation in these moments—maybe they lack the self awareness that their point is inarticulate. How do you approach situations when you do have an opinion and know it’s not going to be well articulated in the moment? Do you suggest overcoming initial trepidation and doing your best to say the thought, scattered as it may sound, or saying it later when your words may be less impactful?

    1. philip Avatar
      philip

      Thank you for sharing your thoughts. While I do wish that long-winded talkers made more effort to formulate their thoughts before speaking, many have the opposite problem. For these, the habit of “pre-thinking” their spoken words is actually overdeveloped and prevents persons with valuable contributions, from actually contributing to a group discussion. It sounds like you are in this latter group. It takes practice to be comfortable speaking to a group. I recommend you push your comfort zone a bit to speak up even when you suspect your words wont be as organized as you hope. You are in little danger of monopolizing a discussion, and you’d likely have a chance to clarify or modify your comment if you or others feel it is not clear at first.

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