Slop may be seeping into the nooks and crannies of our brains.
    • Powderhorn@beehaw.orgEnglish
      9·
      7 months ago

      What matters the most is not the words within an utterance, but the discourse conveyed by that utterance. [Translation: how you say it matters less than what you say.]

      Under certain circumstances. How you say things in work and personal settings such as dating can absolutely affect outcomes.

      • TehPers@beehaw.orgEnglish
        1·
        7 months ago

        The number of times I’ve been attacked over tone growing up tells me that I either had abusive parents, or and that how you say stuff matters a lot. Intonation can also turn a statement into a question or even make it sarcastic. Words come with baggage beyond their meaning, and using a word with negative connotations can turn a compliment into an insult.

        • Powderhorn@beehaw.orgEnglish
          2·
          7 months ago

          I take the specific view that inadvertent phrasing of three words or less has repeatedly changed my life. Three is actually really excessive. One usually does the job; I only had to go to three once.

          But then again, I’m a writer. Oh, I sure as shit wasn’t the first time, but this is where serendipity cones into play. You know what you have to say without even thinking about it.