A Single Word Shows How People Fail to Speak for Themselves

Day 42, Saturday 28th April 2018

Adi Goldstein via Unsplash

Have you ever had a conversation where there’s energy and interest but the other person’s words leave you feeling adrift, wondering where to go next? It’s an irritating tick of socialsing which I’ve recently begun to understand, usually coming back to a few regular causes:

1. The other person is only talking about themselves and expecting that to sustain a conversation.
2. The other person is constantly talking about people they know.
3. They are describing everything, except their own emotional experience, in great detail.
4. They are only asking yes/no questions.
5. They are contradicting themselves.
6. They are using ‘we’ or ‘you’ instead of ‘I’.

Today, my dear brothers and sisters of Medium, I plan to tear number 6 apart and explain why this subtle, yet vital part of talking, is so easily mangled by many, many people, myself included. This article will explain why such a small change can open the world to more meaningful interaction—the first step in making change is awareness.

I like ice cream. Simple, eh? Using ‘I’ is pretty easy, from a very young age it’s taught as a vital part of language for…