Vocabulary

“Read the broadsheets. You need to expand your vocabulary.” This was the prominent feedback on my theatre studies assignment that I received from the new drama teacher at high school.

I attended a rather fancy high school and studying theatre meant that every three weeks we would journey into London and watch a play, show or musical. This wasn’t just for kicks—our homework was to write up every performance by analysing the acting, set design and speculating on directorial decisions. The write ups were the theory side of our studies and to be honest, I wasn’t very good at it. Why? My vocabulary was limited. 

Last year, a consultant friend of mine was invited to make a business proposal for the company he has consulted for, for years. He had been invited to present to the Executive by the CEO. Part way through his first sentence, one of the Execs said, “This is atrocious, useless information.” And that same exec tore apart my friend’s well-thought out, deeply researched, quantified and qualified presentation, repeating the same words. My friend showed me his presentation. My conclusion: the Exec was wrong. 

This is something I’ve noticed more and more in our attention-seeking, headline-grabbing world—we use the wrong words and thus catastrophise. Interestingly, research has found that a poor choice of words can lead to both psychological and physiological effects meaning that catastrophising might cause our bodies to react in a manner as though a catastrophe has actually happened—leading to anxiety and stress. People this is serious!

I asked my friend how he felt after the presentation. “Not good,” he replied. “That Exec has a limited vocabulary,” I said—not just in an effort to soothe, but because I believed that was the issue. The Exec didn’t have the appropriate language to bring a constructive critique and thus sabotaged my friend. And I’m seeing this more and more. I think we should take care with our words, be cautious with our choices and think before we speak, because I’ve heard the tongue holds the power of life and of death.

A limited vocabulary has the potential for disaster. Bit dramatic, perhaps? I don’t think so…