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78 Comments
- 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."
- DeskFlyer, on 10/29/2007, -5/+20This article was too complicated. ;P
- inactive, on 10/23/2007, -4/+15The title of this post don't respect what the article says.
- FaithclubDotNet, on 10/29/2007, -1/+10Reason #6: The more you say, the longer your page takes to load.
- 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. - TechScribe, on 10/24/2007, -1/+10dugg for the tao
- 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 - Nougat, on 10/24/2007, -1/+9Save
The
Friendly
Unicorn - FaithclubDotNet, on 10/24/2007, -0/+7Only grunt or growl, that is what I always say.
- 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.
- modernhumorist, on 10/23/2007, -0/+4http://72.14.253.104/search?q=cache:http://www.pos ...
- 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.
- 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! =) - holysocks, on 10/27/2007, -0/+3talk like tarzan
- rarson, on 10/24/2007, -0/+3I've noticed that Diggers tend to respond better to shorter comments.
- 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.
- IHaveIssues, on 10/23/2007, -0/+2Ok.
- 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.
- inactive, on 10/23/2007, -1/+3Tact is for suckers
- epsilona01, on 10/24/2007, -0/+2Sadly, they teach the opposite in schools. Otherwise my essays would've gotten better grades.
- 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? - inactive, on 10/23/2007, -0/+2http://duggmirror.com
- mediaploy, on 10/23/2007, -1/+31984
- Frecklefoot, on 10/23/2007, -0/+2Ditto. The article is about "Why" not "How"
- merripen, on 10/23/2007, -0/+2Mirror: http://72.14.253.104/search?q=cache:http://www.pos ...
- 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."
- inactive, 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"
- inactive, on 10/23/2007, -0/+1i was thinking the same
- pinuck, on 10/23/2007, -0/+1anyone know a working mirror?
- Markpdotcom, on 10/23/2007, -0/+1NLP FTW! :)
- Abomonog, on 10/23/2007, -0/+1One good reason not to simplify: People will think you are talking down to them.
- CaptainLando, on 10/25/2007, -2/+3You are wrong. Allow me to help. I also have hard data to back it up... so try me if you must.
Generally, everyone is a computer user. Everyone has varying social skills. By hypothetical syllogism (and rearranging for you sticklers) we get that computer users have varying social skills.
Just because someone majors in computer science in college does not mean they will become a progammer. There are software engineers, Project Managers, security specialists, and so on. Many of these guys barely write any code, and many have to be socially adept to be successful in their jobs.
If you apply to Google, Microsoft, Apple, or nearly anywhere (maybe not Cisco) you will not be hired unless you have necessary soft skills. Success on a large project requires cooperation and communication.
Visit a college campus... it is more and more prevalent every year that many diverse and social peoples are joining computer science programs... It isn't just a white males' club anymore. - 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. - urbannomad23, on 10/23/2007, -0/+1AMEN!
- heartcoldfusion, on 10/24/2007, -1/+2Nope, still not getting it. Make it simpler.
- TechScribe, on 10/23/2007, -0/+1Somebody should translate that article into text message speak.
- bobfoster, on 10/23/2007, -0/+1Agree with Insanitywalks. The article was a great example of what not to do.
- 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. - hydrodev, on 10/24/2007, -1/+2My girlfriend uses too many words.
To the point. I like this.
:) - 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.
- 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.
- MadHarvey, on 10/24/2007, -0/+1I find that every computer user over generalizes all the time.
- rarson, on 10/23/2007, -0/+1You can't simplify nonsense into something sensical.
- mahdaeng, on 10/23/2007, -0/+1Amen!
- hydrodev, on 10/23/2007, -0/+1YEA!
- ePlus, on 10/23/2007, -0/+1Yeah, tell lawyers this! So much ***** they say it confuses you...
- ubergeek09, on 10/23/2007, -0/+1Using a lot of words is good for confusing people though..
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