Sorry. To cute by half, I know. Anyway, I want to discuss how we speak as it relates to simplicity. It has been said that “speech is the chief revelation of the mind.” In other words, what we speak comes from what we think. If our thinking is chaotic, our speaking and writing will be as well.
Speak and write simply. Learn to convey your thoughts with just as many words as are needed, no more. Choose your words carefully. Be thoughtful. Be precise. The English language has over 800,000 words, most languages have around 200,000. Most people regularly use only a few thousand. There is an English word for just about anything, similar words sometimes separated by the most subtle of nuances. Learn the precise meaning of many words and you will go far in life.
Big words, flowery language are not necessary to speaking and writing. What is said best is said simply. Long winded emails and speeches are so because the writer wants to overwhelm the listener, impress him that he has done his homework. Save it, I’m not impressed. I am more impressed when someone conveys in a few well chosen words the thought behind the word. The classic example is Lincoln at Gettysburg. The speaker before Lincoln gave a two hour speech, Lincoln’s was so short, the photographer didn’t have time to setup and so the only photo we have is as Lincoln was leaving the stage. The Gettysburg Address is a marvelous jewel of thought, no one remembers what the other fellow said.
Language suffers when it is used to deceive. There is a trust that is broken when one cannot believe anything heard on the news or in print. Without trust it is difficult to get much done. As individuals we can personally commit to being truthful at all times, with the exception of saying things that would hurt someone’s feelings gratuitously. Be a person of integrity.
Think deeply about what you do for a living, or what your main purpose in life is. Could you sum it up in one paragraph? Have you ever sat down and tried to put into words what your life is all about? You see? First the thinking has to be clear. I find too that it works the other way around, by writing and re-writing, it can brush away the cobwebs in my head, and allow me to become clearer, purposeful.
Words mean things. Learn and choose the words that precisely fit the thought. Don’t talk too much, do. Show, demonstrate, lead by example. Don’t just talk about it, do it!