The Well | Words do matter—and you might be using them all wrong | Alan Alda @The-Well | Uploaded May 2024 | Updated October 2024, 38 minutes ago.
Are you convincing everyone you’re smart, or accidentally alienating them? Here’s how to find out.
❍ Subscribe to The Well on YouTube: bit.ly/welcometothewell
❍ Up next: What geniuses get wrong about being “smart” | Barbara Oakley youtube.com/watch?v=Gi6bo2TI8Eg
While jargon has the advantage of communicating a lot of information in a short amount of time, it has deeply alienating effects on those even slightly outside the field of reference. Director, actor, and master communicator Alan Alda uses examples from film sets and hospital rooms to illustrate jargon’s impact on our interactions, and how it can exclude those we are trying to communicate with.
Now more than ever, we need to find ways to foster connections and encourage close relationships with one another. The solution, Alda explains, is to use jargon only when you are confident that it is completely understood by the person you are speaking with. Otherwise, you risk losing the opportunity to truly communicate, causing misunderstanding and even disinterest.
Approaching conversations with this level of empathy creates an environment where all listeners can feel included, encouraging them to learn, share their ideas, and continue keeping knowledge accessible.
Read the full video transcript: bigthink.com/the-well/alan-alda-how-to-communicate-better
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❍ About The Well ❍
Do we inhabit a multiverse? Do we have free will? What is love? Is evolution directional? There are no simple answers to life’s biggest questions, and that’s why they’re the questions occupying the world’s brightest minds.
So what do they think?
How is the power of science advancing understanding? How are philosophers and theologians tackling these fascinating questions?
Let’s dive into The Well.
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Join The Well on your favorite platforms:
❍ Facebook: bit.ly/thewellFB
❍ Instagram: bit.ly/thewellIG
Are you convincing everyone you’re smart, or accidentally alienating them? Here’s how to find out.
❍ Subscribe to The Well on YouTube: bit.ly/welcometothewell
❍ Up next: What geniuses get wrong about being “smart” | Barbara Oakley youtube.com/watch?v=Gi6bo2TI8Eg
While jargon has the advantage of communicating a lot of information in a short amount of time, it has deeply alienating effects on those even slightly outside the field of reference. Director, actor, and master communicator Alan Alda uses examples from film sets and hospital rooms to illustrate jargon’s impact on our interactions, and how it can exclude those we are trying to communicate with.
Now more than ever, we need to find ways to foster connections and encourage close relationships with one another. The solution, Alda explains, is to use jargon only when you are confident that it is completely understood by the person you are speaking with. Otherwise, you risk losing the opportunity to truly communicate, causing misunderstanding and even disinterest.
Approaching conversations with this level of empathy creates an environment where all listeners can feel included, encouraging them to learn, share their ideas, and continue keeping knowledge accessible.
Read the full video transcript: bigthink.com/the-well/alan-alda-how-to-communicate-better
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------
❍ About The Well ❍
Do we inhabit a multiverse? Do we have free will? What is love? Is evolution directional? There are no simple answers to life’s biggest questions, and that’s why they’re the questions occupying the world’s brightest minds.
So what do they think?
How is the power of science advancing understanding? How are philosophers and theologians tackling these fascinating questions?
Let’s dive into The Well.
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Join The Well on your favorite platforms:
❍ Facebook: bit.ly/thewellFB
❍ Instagram: bit.ly/thewellIG
