I never get tired of pausing to think about the potential deeper meaning and origins of words we use every day. I think the more we do this, the more reflective we can be, the more powerful we can be and the more effective we can be in communication.
I find myself disagreeing with people who assert that great communication is all about body language, who we are being etc and only in small part about the words we use and what we say.
Sure, talk is cheap and words can be mis used. But to me that is all the more reason to think and reflect on the words we use, their origins, words ability to be a concept as much as a description.
The last week or so I have been thinking a lot about the word ‘new.’ It is such a common word, but can stand for so much. And we give it meaning, a lot of meaning.
When it comes to material objects or possessions, we attach a very high value. When it comes to an idea, a thought, a piece of knowledge, or entertainment, we again give something ‘new’ a very high value.
So to the person who brings us something new, whether it is a material object or some information.
Working for many years as a journalist, ‘new’ stories became an addiction. Every story I wrote had to be new, have a new angle, reveal something that people didn’t already know. The media places a very high value on something new.In fact the word ‘news’ comes from ‘new’.
Without knowing the scientific or psychological background, I think that our attitude to ‘new’ runs deep. It is at a deeper level about renewal, about beginnings, about being alive. So we love something new because it tells us life is moving on, that we are living beings, that every morning we wake up there is something about the day that has us moving forward.
The flipside is being bored and seeing the world as ‘same old, same old’ and there are many of us who see the world this way.
Getting to grips with ‘new’ is a powerful place to be, in life, in our professions and in our relationships. Sharing new information and ideas can be a great act of generosity and very powerful in marketing yourself, your wisdom, and expertise. And it costs you nothing.