As a journalism major, editing minor, and lover of the English language for my entire life, I often find myself having a keener eye for writing and a more attentive ear for speech than many people. While I admit that my own speech and writing are far from perfect, I do tend to notice and care about things related to language that many people don't. Lately, I've been thinking about how I can make both my speech and my writing more meaningful.
Meaningful language doesn't mean being more wordy. It doesn't necessarily mean speaking and writing more simply, either (although I tend to think that using less words is preferable). To me, meaningful language means thinking more about what words come out of your mouth and onto a paper. It means avoiding "vain repetitions." It means using the correct punctuation in the correct places. It means ridding your speech of hurtful, crass, or pointless words. It means asking the right questions. It means listening. It means putting a little more effort into your thoughts, speech, and writing.
Recently I read an article on the Huffington Post about how to ask the right questions in our human relationships. Instead of saying, "how was your day?", you should ask more specific questions. Say, "how did you feel about your test?" or "did you have any challenges to overcome at work?" or "what was one random moment when you were happy today?" Ask questions that dig for emotion, because after all, talking and listening is how we create a meaningful connection with each other. Life is so short, so why put a little more effort into making our communication as meaningful and genuine as we can?
Just a little thought for today.
