Le mot juste

Effective communication

It was a pleasure to meet you.

It was a pleasure to meet you.

Language is a funny thing.  If you look at the areas of stress in the two sentence examples above, it is easy to see how the same sentence can have multiple meanings when pronounced a certain way. One of my favorite French phrases is “Le Mot Juste,” which translates to “The good word.”  This basically means that we must be careful to watch what we say and how we say it at all times. What may come off as friendly or harmless for some may be seen as offensive to others.

Another way to look at the power of language is to always have confidence in your words. I was once given the advice:

“Even when you are wrong, sound right.”

Now, obviously if you are constantly conveying false information as true then people will eventually just disregard you as an imbecile or simply scream fake news. But that’s not the point of the statement. The statement literally means to always control your tone and speak with confidence.

Choose your words wisely

Another important factor to consider is what language is being used—is it appropriate and relative to the situation? If not, you should make it a habit to always control your tongue, even in comfortable situations amongst friends.  Contrary to what you may believe, people are always watching and observing you. If your vocabulary is littered with vile and inappropriate language, then that language becomes a reflection of you. Carefully craft your words at all times. If you need to increase your vocabulary, there’s an easy solution. Read. Just a small bit of reading each day will go a long way toward immensely improving your communication skills.

What habits have you developed over the years that contribute to your communication skills? Comment below.