Optimism and Language
How much effect do the words you use have on your optimism?
This is a question that I struggle with. I tend to discredit that your words drastically effect your outlook on life. For example, I will often say “I’m swamped.” In general, this term is a negative, victim mentality, life stinks, kind of phrase. But, I have said it ever since I was a waiter, where I first heard the phrase. And where being swamped meant I was busy, which meant more money. I jokingly add with a smile, “I’m swamped… which means job security.” So does that phrase really effect my outlook on life? Can we say something negative jokingly, sarcastically, or unbiased and it not effect me? Or is just how we internalize a phrase?
Just the other day, Jeremiah Cundiff, a life coach and business coach, pointed out that agreeing with individuals who use negative speech, adds negativity to one’s own life by embracing the other individual’s negativity. So along this thought process it would seem that just allowing or agreeing with anther’s negative attitude is a downer on one’s own optimism.
I am still a little skeptical though as to how much these play on words really effects one’s total outlook.
My father claims that I shouldn’t focus on “Not having debt”. According to him, if I focus on not having debt, then I am actually inviting debt in. However, I disagree with this extent of negative speech. I set a goal to “Never go into debt for a car.” So I have always paid cash for my automobiles and “Never gone into debt for a car.” To me its a neutral point if I set the goal as “Never go into debt.” or, “Always pay cash.”
Still, I would say that a hypnotist would argue that the exact phrase does indeed matter. If they can hypnotize someone with their words alone then words do carry a significant weight. Even more so, if they can create “trigger words” then according to a hypnotist the exact word counts. But that’s hypnotism and brain washing right?
Honestly how much of difference does it really make if you say “The glass is half full.” vs “The Glass is half empty.” Is that really a concrete test of your optimism?
So I remain semi-split on the optimism and language.
