Menu Search form Search term. Image credit: Getty Images. August 22, The power of language: How words shape people, culture. Facebook Twitter Email. By Alex Shashkevich Speaking, writing and reading are integral to everyday life, where language is the primary tool for expression and communication. Understanding stereotypes. Social Sciences. How other languages inform our own. Language as a lens into behavior.
I love that imagery. It applies to all the people you encounter: your overbearing boss, that rude flight attendant, the stressed-out family member, everybody. All of them have potential, and we have the power to build them up or bring them down. That power is mostly in our words. It takes more than good thoughts and deeds to build people up. The real creative potential for change lies in the words we use. Wholesome words develop the people around us. When someone experiences a major setback or disappointment, for example, we need to be careful not to dismiss their pain or frustration.
Words left unsaid can also be hurtful. I once worked for a man who literally never acknowledged, affirmed, or praised my performance.
He only acknowledged my mistakes. As leaders, it takes discernment to know when and if to speak. The right word spoken at the right time can make all the difference for someone. I take this as more than merely being generous or accommodating—though those are both important.
The things we say do something active in the lives of others. Our words can either empower people and make them want to press on or diminish them and make them want to quit. I remember going through a horrific business failure. They propel the motivational centers of the brain into action, according to the authors, and build resiliency.
Conversely, hostile language can disrupt specific genes that play a key part in the production of neurochemicals that protect us from stress. Humans are hardwired to worry — part of our primal brains protecting us from threats to our survival — so our thoughts naturally go here first.
However, a single negative word can increase the activity in our amygdala the fear center of the brain. This is especially with regard to logic, reason, and language. By holding a positive and optimistic [word] in your mind, you stimulate frontal lobe activity. This area includes specific language centers that connect directly to the motor cortex responsible for moving you into action. And as our research has shown, the longer you concentrate on positive words, the more you begin to affect other areas of the brain.
Functions in the parietal lobe start to change, which changes your perception of yourself and the people you interact with. He published his first book, Winning Plays , in You can contact him and learn more at mattmayberryonline. Faiza Hughell. Brook Zimmatore. Stav Vaisman. Entrepreneur Store. Angela Ruth. Max Pecherskyi. Skip to content Profile Avatar. Subscribe to Entrepreneur. Magazine Subscriptions. By Matt Mayberry October 2, Opinions expressed by Entrepreneur contributors are their own.
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