Whatever words we utter should be chosen with care, for people will hear them and be influenced by them for good or evil.
Buddha
563-483 B.C.

When you were growing up, how many times did your mother tell you to watch your language? (If your childhood was anything like mine, you heard it plenty of times.)

Our parents were trying to keep us from swearing, or possibly scolding us for calling other children unflattering names. But you might be surprised to learn that there are very sound reasons to watch our language, even as adults.

Let me share the results of an experiment done by Stanford University psychologist Lee Ross. He had groups of people play a game where they could either cooperate or compete. In each round, the people had the choice of sharing money with others or keeping all the money for themselves.

Here’s the twist: half of the participants were told the game was a “Community Game”, while the other half were told the game was “The Wall Street Game”. Both groups played the identical game, but the group that had been told it was The Wall Street Game was much more likely to steal, lie and cheat during play.

The group that was told they were playing The Wall Street Game felt proud of their less than honorable behavior. In marked contrast, the group which had been told they were playing The Community Game felt good about winding up with less money because they felt they were sacrificing for the common good.

It’s very important to watch the language you use. There’s a direct connection between our behavior and our language. If you want to improve your behavior, start by improving your language. Give up negative, unhealthy labels and replace them with positive words.

Think twice before you speak, because your words and influence will plant the seed of either success or failure in the mind of another.
Napoleon Hill
1883 – 1970

Copyright © 2017 John Chancellor