Powerful usage of words

 It must be a very happy long weekend to many especially government officials na ka.

I haven't shared much from what I get out of book summaries so let me do it from 'Magic Words: What to Say to Get Your Way' by Jonah Berger, 2023. sanuk sanuk to speak with power, which will be convincing and hard to disagree!  

Here are a few I'd like to highlight ka:

• Research finds that turning actions into identities can shape how others are perceived. 

The author says if we want people to lead, ask them to be 'leaders', if they run, they are 'runners', if we don't want them to lie, tell them 'not to be liars!' Sound more powerful mai ka?

• Change Can’ts to Don’ts

I guess this is psychological ka. Instead of saying, 'I can't do it.', use 'I don't......' to show that we still have some little room for comfort na ka. The author's example is, 'I can't eat sweets right now. vs I don't eat sweets right now'.  

• Turn Shoulds into Coulds: 
  

'Could' sounds more positive with more room to think further as in an example about what we 'could do' instead of what we 'should do'.

Think carefully about using pronouns like “I” and “you.” They can draw attention and take ownership, but they also suggest responsibility and blame. 

• More indirect when dealing with opposing viewpoints

Sounds like our usual ways of Thai people somehow ka.....I guess it's me too who tend to be less direct (and could be less powerful at times!)

• Don't  “uh,” “um,” and “er,”  a lot to sound hesitant, less powerful, less effective

It may turn to be some undesirable habits too, I think. We have to be aware of how we communicate to rid them .... similar to the use of 'like' as 'แบบ' in Thai lae ka.

• Make the abstract concrete

I was told a few times that I need to be more concrete to be better understood. This book summary makes me feel a little better (just a little ka!) to point out that 'The more people learn about something, the more they naturally start to think about it abstractly.', meaning I may have acquired some more deeper knowledge:))!

BUT (big but kaa!), the most important is to send messages across so the more concrete, the better kaa!

•  Make people feel heard (what is so very much needed these days for all generations na ka)

These include our attention paid and expression to show understanding. I'd like to add that some follow-on questions can work well too ka.

Anything you like mai ka?