How Important is Language to the Way we Think?

Video – VLog #41

How does language affect the way we think?

Does the language we speak really change the way we think?

Does the language I speak influence the way I think …

Script – VLog #41

David Logan: Hello and welcome to The Techno Dinosaur Meets the IT Geek. Week 41. My name is David Logan, the IT Geek, the guy who takes the jargon out of technology for the home worker. That is you, the home worker. And my partner in crime, Willie Nicol. So, here today is my Techno Dinosaur Willie Nicol.

David Logan: So, Willie, how are you and where are you?

Willie Nicol: Thank you David, partner in crime indeed. I am Willie Nicol the techno dinosaur because I’m technologically challenged. However, I’m also a personal development life coach. Based in Troon, South Ayrshire, Scotland.

David Logan: And I’m based down in Annan, south west of Scotland. In the lowlands. So, to you the viewer, are you watching our videos? Are you looking at our website? If not, please go to our YouTube channel. All you need to do is search for The Techno Dinosaur Meets the IT Geek, put that into google and you’ll see our social media feed.

David Logan: Willie, question to you this week, in your expertise, how important is language to the way we think?

Willie Nicol: Thank you David. That’s a very clever question. In a nutshell, it is very important. The way we think essentially powers the way we act. So, we think and then we act. And the language we use to ourselves, inside ourselves and to others is very important in that. For example, if we use inappropriate language, we’re not going to get the results we want. So, it’s very important to use appropriate language.

Willie Nicol: It can be as simple as I alluded to last time when we talked about motivation – saying “I will achieve something IF I do X, Y and Z”. If we change that to “I will achieve something WHEN I do X, Y and Z”. The former using ‘if’ is a wee bit nebulous but if we use the word ‘when’ we’ve kind of put a time frame on it. Another way of looking at it is we want to use language so it will get us a positive result as opposed to something that might get us a negative result. And I’ll use the analogy of losing weight, which I could do with doing after Christmas…  

David Logan: Couldn’t we all?

Willie Nicol: Quite so. So, if I use language like, “I want to be slimmer”, that’s quite positive. If, however, I frame it in such a way that I say, “I don’t want to be fat” …. So, the first is, “I want to be slimmer”, positive. “I don’t want to be fat” is a bit negative. Or, “I want to lose weight”, okay. But “I don’t want to be a fatty anymore” …. The subtle distinction is you’re more likely to succeed using the former language than the latter.

Willie Nicol: And that’s a very subtle distinction but it’s more about what you want to have rather than what you don’t want to have. “I want to have a slim body” rather than “I don’t want to have a fat body”. Does that make sense?

David Logan: Yeah. So, like my challenge for the walking. I want to walk around my route within fifty-five minutes. I will.

Willie Nicol: Excellent. “I will do that”. “I want to do that”. That’s a positive intention. That’s a goal you have set and you’re more liable to achieve it than saying something like, “Oh, I need to do that in that time” or “Oh, I should be doing that”. “I must do it”. Because you’re putting an imposition on yourself.

Willie Nicol: One of the techniques I use is Neuro Linguistic Programming (NLP) which sounds a wee bit Sci Fi scary and to a certain extent it is. But the neuro part just means about what goes on in your head, your thinking. Linguistic is used for language and programming, which sounds a bit scary, is not. Because it’s kind of like what you do, computers, programming computers, resetting computers, re-coding them, updating them, right.

Willie Nicol: So, if I can say it simplistically, we’re going to update (programming), the neuro (our thinking) by using appropriate language. And I would urge viewers to go onto Google and just do a bit of research on NLP. It’s a tool or a methodology whereby we can learn to use correct language which will give us more chance of achieving what we want to achieve as I’ve just alluded to with the losing weight metaphor.

Willie Nicol: The use of language is very important and you can imagine talking to other people, you use appropriate language because, if you use inappropriate language, you’re liable to get some blow-back or, as we say in the west of Scotland, a punch in the face …. right.

Willie Nicol: So, we use appropriate language. Funnily enough, however, we very often use inappropriate language on ourselves. So, we can say things internally inside our head, “Oh, I didn’t achieve that goal, I’m useless”. “I didn’t lose that weight, I’m a fatty”. “I didn’t make that walk in that length of time, I’m a failure”. That kind of negative thinking can be very detrimental. Whereas if we do exercise some more appropriate thinking, more positive thinking …. “I will achieve that”. “I want to achieve that”. “I’m going to achieve that”.

Willie Nicol: You take away the negativity and replace it with some positivity. So, it’s a way of changing the way you think by using language in a more appropriate and positive manner. And I hope that has all made sense. If it hasn’t, please get in touch with me.

David Logan: Thank you, Willie. To the viewer, you heard what Willie said. If you want more information, speak to Willie. Private message or comment down below.

David Logan: Thank you, Willie, for that fantastic, good thing. Any conclusion you want to add to your spiel?

Willie Nicol: My spiel, my schtick, as it were. No, I don’t want to add anything else apart from to say, to the viewer I hope you found that useful. It’s a way of making your life potentially more positive.

Willie Nicol: So, stay safe, stay well, remember to have some fun too! And it’s bye from me, Willie Nicol, the Techno Dinosaur.

David Logan: And bye from me David Logan, the IT Geek. Making technology simple and easy to use. Goodbye, stay safe, have fun.

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