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5 Reasons Why You Should Simplify What You Say, and How to Do It

positivityblog.com — One of the trickier things about social skills is to get your message across. One reason why people have difficulty with this is because they use more words than needed. As Lee Iacocca said “You can have brilliant ideas, but if you can’t get them across, your ideas won’t get you anywhere”.

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  • Zimfool, on 10/29/2007, -11/+7good article, thanks for sharing.
  • DeskFlyer, on 10/29/2007, -5/+20This article was too complicated. ;P
    • FaithclubDotNet, on 10/29/2007, -1/+10Reason #6: The more you say, the longer your page takes to load.
      • chrismgtis, on 10/29/2007, -1/+2When an article "saying more" causes a website to take too long to load, it's time to upgrade that 14.4bps modem.
    • themastersb, on 10/29/2007, -1/+1Lern 2 articulate
    • ophello, on 10/29/2007, -1/+1It is entirely acceptable that, to the average intellect, the aforementioned article may be perceived as overly articulate. However, therein one may find the advice proffered to be useful in eschewing obfuscation.
    • muller, on 10/24/2007, -0/+1Like the time I took the ferry to Shelbyville. I needed a new heel for my shoe so I decided to go to Morganville, which is what they called Shelbyville in those days. So I tied an onion to my belt, which was the style at the time. Now to take the ferry cost a nickel, and in those days, nickels had pictures of bumblebees on them. "Give me five bees for a quarter," you'd say. Now where were we? Oh yeah. The important thing was that I had an onion on my belt, which was the style at the time. They didn't have white onions because of the war. The only thing you could get was those big yellow ones.
  • FameMoney, on 10/23/2007, -4/+15The title of this post don't respect what the article says.
    • Frecklefoot, on 10/23/2007, -0/+2Ditto. The article is about "Why" not "How"
  • Chicken2nite, on 10/23/2007, -2/+3Someone should it to tell this guy: http://www.thedailyshow.com/video/index.jhtml?vide ...
    • ngmcs8203, on 10/23/2007, -0/+1When Miller isn't spewing his pro-Bush rhetoric he can be damn funny.
  • tsopranos, on 10/23/2007, -3/+2Ditto.
  • mokayogi, on 10/28/2007, -0/+44I'm reminded of Lao Tzu's Tao Te Ching: "Those who speak, do not know. Those who know, do not speak."
  • ps3udov3ctor, on 10/23/2007, -0/+1I agree. When I hear people that keep repeating the same point over and over I often think that they're really clueless about the rest of the subject at hand.
  • OMGWTFROFLMAOx2, on 10/23/2007, -1/+3Tact is for suckers
  • chris9902, on 10/24/2007, -0/+9You don't have to say anything. Just point and nod, people will work it out.
  • Gabberwok, on 10/24/2007, -1/+9Keep
    It
    Simple
    Stupid
  • jamesdjadams, on 10/23/2007, -3/+0This was boring.
  • FaithclubDotNet, on 10/24/2007, -0/+7Only grunt or growl, that is what I always say.
  • IHaveIssues, on 10/23/2007, -0/+2Ok.
  • holysocks, on 10/27/2007, -0/+3talk like tarzan
  • 2XVISION, on 10/24/2007, -6/+1Fortunately the lesser races can only speak in simple terms, so there's hope for us yet!
  • insomniacal, on 10/25/2007, -0/+6I learned more about writing in the business world (where no one reads a long email) than I did as an English major.
  • slashbot, on 10/25/2007, -12/+1Conservatives must simplify what they say so the libs can understand it.

    Can you understand me now?
    • heartcoldfusion, on 10/24/2007, -1/+2Nope, still not getting it. Make it simpler.
      • rarson, on 10/23/2007, -0/+1You can't simplify nonsense into something sensical.
    • wendelgee2, on 10/23/2007, -1/+2So, then:
      Beat up the weak. Bomb the rest.
  • pinuck, on 10/23/2007, -0/+1anyone know a working mirror?
  • TechScribe, on 10/23/2007, -0/+1Somebody should translate that article into text message speak.
  • taintedzodiac, on 10/23/2007, -4/+3"You can have brilliant ideas, but if you can’t get them across, your ideas won’t get you anywhere."

    Could be stated simply by saying, "You need to make sure people understand you."
  • seraph582, on 10/23/2007, -0/+2http://duggmirror.com
  • merripen, on 10/23/2007, -0/+2Mirror: http://72.14.253.104/search?q=cache:http://www.pos ...
  • heartcoldfusion, on 10/24/2007, -2/+6“You can have brilliant ideas, but if you can’t get them across, your ideas won’t get you anywhere”.
    Lee Iacocca

    One of the trickier things about social skills is to get your message across.

    One reason why people have difficulty with this is because they use more words than needed.

    I know. I have done so too many times to count. I keep babbeling on and on about something for far too long and fill the air with too many words.

    Now, sometimes that can be a good and enjoyable thing. Sometimes it’s just a way to feed your own ego and keep the spotlight on yourself for as long as possible. A lot of the time I think it can be useful to simplify and try to use fewer words.

    Why? I’ll get to that.

    First though, just a few thoughts on the how. How do you keep your wordcount down? I think you just have to try to be more aware and alert. Think about what you are about to say before it whooshes out of your mouth. Focus on what you really want to convey.

    Babbeling on too much is, at least in my opinion, something that often comes from being too focused inward. Being too focused on yourself in a conversation.

    If you instead focus more outward you’ll be less self-conscious. This reduces nervous and slightly nonsensical babbeling.

    And if you focus more outward, on the people you are talking to and less on your own glorious voice and golden words you’ll be more aware of what you are saying and how the conversation is going. If you focus on the other guy/gal you’ll be more focused on getting through and more attentive to the reactions you bring out.

    So, stay aware of what you want to convey. And focus much of your attention outward to reduce babbeling and to be more alert to what’s happening and how your message comes across. Now, on to reason number one why you should keep it simple.

    Image by chuckp.

    1. Clarity.

    Obviously. If you only use what is needed then there will be less room and risk for misunderstandings. And overall, the message usually gets through easier when someone keeps it simple. This has at least been my experience when I listen to people who keep it simple.

    2. Emotional punch.

    Just like when you’re writing, keeping it simple can give your spoken words a bigger emotional punch. When your message is focused and clearly directed instead of muddled and lost in too many words it becomes more powerful.

    3. Less risk of boredom.

    Even though you may think what you are saying is most interesting thing since we first discovered YouTube others may not share this feeling. If you keep it concise with a clear intention your message becomes more lucid, more emotionally powerful and probably shorter. So it becomes easier to keep the attention of your audience and actually get your message through.

    4. You’ll be less eager to stroke your ego.

    Going on and on about something may be a way to show off your cleverness. Cleverness is overrated. It’s mostly a good way to feed your own ego. It’s not such a good way to get your point across. Or to become less self-conscious.

    By complicating things and wanting to be clever you reinforce your negative habit. You’ll focus too much on yourself and what others may think of you.

    If you keep it simple and clear and if you focus on the people you are talking to you’ll become more free to say what you want. It might not feel as good at first since you are not stroking your ego or reinforcing your cleverness. But I have found that in the long run it makes things easier and reduces some of your own inner limitations. The real, less self-conscious you gets more of a chance to shine through.

    5. It keeps the rest of your communication more focused and aligned.

    If you keep your mind focused on what you are trying to convey and on the people you are talking to you are a lot more focused compared to if you just ramble on.

    When your mind is more focused on these two things the rest of your body plays along more easily. And your body language and voice tonality is 93 percent of your communication.

    As you are more involved and attentive in the conversation more emotions like enthusiasm is pumped into how you are saying something. And your body language becomes more focused with an alert posture and, for example, with clearer hand gestures. You become more in sync with yourself and all parts of your communication become simpler, clearer and more powerful.

    If you like this article, please give it a thumb up in Stumbleupon. Thanks a lot! =)
  • vofuse, on 10/25/2007, -4/+2Worst comments page ever.
  • mediaploy, on 10/23/2007, -1/+31984
    • AreTooDeTo, on 10/24/2007, -1/+2haha, that was the impression i got when i read the title. i immediately thought newspeak. the article is actually just about getting your ideas across without using words that pertain nothing to what you are talking about.
  • ahawks, on 10/28/2007, -0/+9For a post promoting concise, simple writing, the author sure was a long winded S.O.B.

    1. Clarity.
    Obviously. If you only use what is needed then there will be less room and risk for misunderstandings. And overall, the message usually gets through easier when someone keeps it simple. This has at least been my experience when I listen to people who keep it simple.

    Rewrite:
    Keep it short, keep it simple. If a word or phrase doesn't contribute to your message, drop it.
    • hydrodev, on 10/23/2007, -0/+1YEA!
    • rarson, on 10/24/2007, -0/+3I've noticed that Diggers tend to respond better to shorter comments.
    • epsilona01, on 10/24/2007, -0/+2Sadly, they teach the opposite in schools. Otherwise my essays would've gotten better grades.
  • SheilaNoya, on 10/25/2007, -3/+1World's Shortest Poem:

    FLEAS
    -----------
    Adam
    had 'em.
  • saqer, on 10/23/2007, -0/+1I like this article, but I think the ultimate challenge is being able to strike that balance between saying "too much" and saying "too little"
  • BurningPyro07, on 10/23/2007, -0/+2It's not very easy to do this when you are given a minimum amount of time when presenting for school, work, etc.
  • godfly, on 10/23/2007, -0/+2bah. easy. just speak like confucius. i.e. "Homework like a juicy steak -- rarely done."
  • MakakNo1, on 10/23/2007, -0/+0A great article, clear, concise, to the point and doesn't waffle on unlike I'm doing here...
  • suinmind, on 10/23/2007, -0/+0Tax on words?

    .....What am i thinking? Politicians would never pass laws targeting themselves.
  • ePlus, on 10/23/2007, -0/+1Yeah, tell lawyers this! So much ***** they say it confuses you...
  • hydrodev, on 10/24/2007, -1/+2My girlfriend uses too many words.
    To the point. I like this.
    :)
  • rarson, on 10/24/2007, -0/+4I've got the opposite problem. I tend to only speak what is necessary. In social situations, I end up appearing untalkative and unfriendly. I hate meaningless chit-chat, so I'm not good at it. But it appears to be a necessity in social settings.
  • christopherp, on 10/23/2007, -0/+2"Omit needless words." Strunk and White, the Elements of Style
  • airmaster, on 10/24/2007, -1/+3Reason #6: Because nobody cares what YOU think.
  • ubergeek09, on 10/23/2007, -0/+1Using a lot of words is good for confusing people though..
  • digghasnoethics, on 10/23/2007, -0/+1"Keep it simple coz people are thick"

    Come on, they deserved it for such a load of condescending tripe.
  • mahdaeng, on 10/23/2007, -0/+1Amen!
  • Insanitywalks, on 10/24/2007, -1/+0Was it just me or is it ironic that the author didn't apply the techniques to the article. Why would I listen to someones advice on keeping it simple when they can't?

    Buried, lame.
  • flkytesrfr, on 10/23/2007, -0/+0If you'd like to improve your communication skills (including effective public speaking and leadership), I highly recommend checking out Toastmasters, a world-wide, non-profit organization. And if you'd like some help socializing, checkout "How to Work a Room" and "What Do I Say Next" by Susan RoAne.
  • Abomonog, on 10/23/2007, -0/+1One good reason not to simplify: People will think you are talking down to them.
  • bobfoster, on 10/23/2007, -0/+1Agree with Insanitywalks. The article was a great example of what not to do.
  • Haecceity, on 10/24/2007, -0/+2"A lot of the time I think it can be useful to simplify and try to use fewer words.

    Why? I’ll get to that."

    What was the article about again?
  • mass, on 10/23/2007, -0/+0Unfortunately after the third reason I got confused and stopped reading. He should really try to pare his list down.
  • notmiya, on 10/24/2007, -0/+2This is basically what he says, "Free your mind of clutter, blabbering only feeds your ego. Be less self conscious." It's not so much five "reasons" why you should simplify what you say "and how to do it", its five simplified opinions on someone who thinks people who talk too much are egotistical and are self conscious.
  • evilkarl, on 10/24/2007, -0/+0A nice article, some people are way to verbose with their communication..its a pet hate of mine.

    Get to the point!
  • ebren056, on 10/24/2007, -0/+0I don't agree that people who talk a lot are stroking their egos or about the whole thing about being focused inward. Having poor communication/social skills doesn't mean someone isn't concerned with others.
  • woohhaa, on 10/24/2007, -0/+1I like to say this at work:

    I hesitate to articulate for fear that I may deviate from the general course of rectitude.

    In other words I don't know.
  •  

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