Comments on: 12 Speaking Errors That Make You Sound Dumb

By: Scott Young

Scott Young — Tue, 02 Mar 2010 05:35:41 +0000

Caitlin,

Good luck with your goal, however I don’t think you can easily change someone else’s behavior unless they are personally motivated to change.

-Scott

By: Caitlin

Caitlin — Mon, 01 Mar 2010 13:56:11 +0000

Hello Scott,

I am looking for resources to use to broach the subject of profanity with my middle school students. I just came across your article. I like what you have to say about the variety of different verbal miscues that tend to make people sound unintelligent and I am wondering if you have any other suggestions for targeting the specific behavior of cursing with middle school students. As a teacher, I am tired of hearing my students curse and I don’t think they understand just how unintelligent it makes them sound.

Any ideas on how to address this with them would be greatly appreciated. Thanks for your time and thoughts!

-Caitlin

By: Maru

Maru — Sat, 02 Aug 2008 16:36:51 +0000

Great idea.
I’m not sure if you’re already posted a followup to your rubberband experiment. Did it work?
What are your conclusions about the experiment?

By: Success Soul » Words that Can Change Your World for the Better or Worst

Success Soul » Words that Can Change Your World for the Better or Worst — Sat, 05 Apr 2008 14:54:59 +0000

[...] Young has a great article – 12 Speaking Errors That Make You Sound Dumb SHARETHIS.addEntry({ title: “Words that Can Change Your World for the Better or Worst”, url: [...]

By: Niedzielne linki: Czy i Ciebie paraliżuje konieczność publicznego przemawiania? « Doodge’owy przemyślnik

Sun, 30 Mar 2008 09:41:24 +0000

[...] 12 Speaking Errors That Make You Sound Dumb – na koniec kilka błędów, których należy unikać podczas przemawiania (nie tylko przed dużą publiką). [...]

By: Ravenwood

Ravenwood — Fri, 21 Mar 2008 13:10:01 +0000

http://www.fourhourworkweek.com/blog/2007/09/18/real-mind-control-the-21-day-no-complaint-experiment/

By: Scott Young

Scott Young — Thu, 20 Mar 2008 12:27:50 +0000

Diego,

Using a long word, when it is more precise, is better. But be careful, sometimes you can feel the urge to use a complicated word when it means the same thing as a simple one. In which case, go with the simple word.

As an example, I have friends in Environmental Design who tell me they lose marks in a presentation if they say “utilize”. Why? Because “utilize” and “use” mean basically the same thing.

Freelanceguru,

Of course, the elastic band isn’t what’s important. I’m sure you could find a bracelet that suited your tastes.

-Scott

By: Freelanceguru

Freelanceguru — Thu, 20 Mar 2008 06:44:17 +0000

Would be amazing if any one person could master all of these. ALthough the elastic band might be something of a fashion crisis.

By: Diego

Diego — Wed, 19 Mar 2008 19:12:26 +0000

Scott this is another great post. Ums and ahs, likes and yaknows, make me crazy(er). I remember R. Buckminster Fuller steepling his fingers while he gathered his thoughts and then said because he knew he had been at it for a while, “I might be praying, but you don’t know that.”

I have a slight disagreement. Smaller words tend to be used by speakers who want to raise the emotional pitch of their speech. “10$” words are used by, and understood by people who are trying to be more precise in their speaking.

Now if I could ration my profanity better.

By: etavitom

etavitom — Wed, 19 Mar 2008 14:32:10 +0000

so right on! i am going to look at this list before i give every speech. thanks!!