Using the right word

Glamorous words. The last new entry fantastic words found in some sophisticated - or pretending to be - books. They make us feel special, to impress people - including by creating them the lack of comfort when it is understanding what we want, in fact, to say. But, as clothes, words have a very contextual use. A very sophisticated silk dress and rich jewelries we decide to wear at 8 o'clock in the morning are not improving our image, but - if we are not very kitsch- make the other doubt seriously about our capacity to make rational choices about our life. Even some of them we do not want to hear about, what we dress is telling a lot about ourselves.

The same, the words. I always appreciate people who are able to use a diversified vocabulary. The condition is to use the right word, when necessary.

One of the challenges I am facing very often is exactly about finding the right words. In the PR messages, you need to be as clear as possible, for an audience who, in general, do not have too much time. And want to hear or read your messages very fast. An to remember, at least 10%.

So, if we agree that the same think could be said in more than 10 times, we hope to agree as well that the number one and number two choices of describing something should be the simplest one. Without diminishing by this the core concept, or without weakening the ideas. But, making it understandable for a broad area of individuals.

Using sophisticated words and constructions is not at all a sign of intelligence. And nobody will pay you more because of your hectic vocabulary. But for being able to make things understandable and decryptable. Do you feel humiliated or under used according to the professional and academic capacity you assume to have ? Maybe you are not in the right professional position!

Social media

and our words.

Twitter Opera

a very interesting project lauched by Royal Opera House. Everything could be expressed in words and their power is up to their use, not to their number.

Breakfast on-line

Yes, it is true. Most part of us - with an active, social life, but not necessarily - we are more and more used to start our day not by preparing the breakfast, but by checking our accounts. It is a daily habit not only of adults, but also of the younger generation. An element already took into account when it is about various services offered on-line and about how to make the social platforms fit to the growing demands of an increasing number of users. This is the very practical side of the coin.

Another aspect is related to the situation in itself. It is unavoidable? Can we live without all this on-line communications and still consider ourselves alive? For me, it is mostly a matter of use and abuse. Of course the ways in which we acquire knowledge today is very fast and beneficient for anybody interested and eager to know more. And, to share this knowledge to the other - as this blogging service, anybody could set up in a matter of minutes. But, the real-life balance cannot be neglected. Think about a "virtual" politician, present and popular on-line and on various social networking platforms: his active virtual life is valuable only if it is continued by the same active involvement with real people, in the everyday life.

And, are we more socially connected nowadays, and more happy with our lives and friends? If I am thinking about how many possible friends I lost contact in the last years, because it wasn't Facebook, for example, to add them immediately and continue the communications, I would answer "yes". But, in the same time I have my own reserves about a high percentage of this on-line aspects. Think about on-line break-ups or on-line "relationships", about people unable to manage their real-lifes, about the confort of anonimity and the perverse pleasure to permanently lie about yourself, because almost impossible to discover who is hiding behind a nickname.

But this is the situation on the ground. It is important to be fully aware of this and to continue to think about solutions and ways to improve our communications. On-line or off-line, it is still a matter of words.