Emily Nguyen Week 9: Power Behind Words
Emily Nguyen
Week 9
We are all aware that the words we use can often have lasting impacts on others; either negative or positive. However, we don't often think about the impact they have on ourselves. From our perceptions of ourselves and reality, perhaps to a deep psychological level .
In a neuroscience experiment Maria Richter found that hearing negative words often "increase Implicit Processing (IMP) within the subgenual anterior cingulate cortex (sACC)." In addition, another study found that higher levels of anxiety in children were linked to higher rates of negative self talk. So yes; words do hurt; and they do much more than we think.
Even without such statistical data, you could probably relate from personal experience, finding that negative words towards yourself and your self-deprecating humor haven't exactly posed any benefit in the past. I've personally found that using such language on myself has greatly hindered my performance on several occasions. Saying phrases such as, "I can't do it" have acted as an affirmation of not being able to do something, or even an excuse. In short, negative words overall encourage a negative mindset, even if they appear to be harmful jokes.
So do positive thoughts have positive lasting impacts? In their book, Words Can Change Your Brain, Dr. Andrew Newberg, a neuroscientist at Thomas Jefferson University, and Mark Robert Waldman, a communications expert, have found that "a single word has the power to influence the expression of genes that regulate physical and emotional stress." A sustained use of positive words over time could shift our focus, exercising other areas of the brain.
So yes; perhaps it would be more beneficial for us to be more selective of our words. It's similar to faking it until you make it. I think Lao Tzu's saying, "Watch your thoughts, they become your words" could also make sense as, "Watch your words, they become your thoughts."
https://image.shutterstock.com/image-photo/words-have-power-appearing-behind-260nw-1770583772.jpg
Sources:
https://brm.institute/neuroscience-behind-words/
We definitely all need to rehearse more positive affirmations for ourselves. It would be cool if we could just swap thoughts with someone for a day and program ourselves to be more positive to our own actions and see how toxic we are to ourselves. I think we should all practice trying not to think things or say things to ourselves we would not say to other people.
ReplyDeleteI think it's really cool that you brought up the impact that words can have on the people who actually say them since we usually focus solely on how our words can affect others. I think a lot of people miss how much self deprecating words can truly make a difference. Your blog reminds me of the phrase "Fake it till you make it." Similar to how having external confidence regardless of feelings internally can help you appear in a better light in front of others, having faith in yourself is crucial for motivation to get better. Those who believe that they have the capability to do something, regardless of their past experiences, are usually those who surpass everyone else because that self esteem gives one the motivation to persevere and continuously become better at something.
ReplyDeleteHi Emily! I must agree that positive words and affirmations do make all the difference. I find it very interesting how you did so much research on the psychological information relating to the use and effect of certain words. In my AP Psychology class we are currently learning about language and how people may behave differently and express different personalities when speaking different languages. If that is so, then I'm sure specific words may affect our brains differently too. Recently, I myself have been trying to work on choosing better words in order to positively affect others (as I have noticed sometimes my words can be quite negative).
ReplyDeleteHello Emily, thank you for fixing your blog formatting, as it is much easier to read now. I truly believe that a person’s mind and language are their biggest enemy. For example, The way we speak about ourselves and our thoughts can increase or hinder our performance in every aspect of our lives. One simple strategy I learned from the author James Clear is to switch the “have” to the word “get.” Instead of saying I have to wake up early to go to school, one should say, I get to wake up early to go to school. The different word choices can help one figure out the good or positive aspects of school, such as the joy of getting something right or bonding with friends.
ReplyDeleteHey Emily! I find it very interesting that you focused on how our own words can impact us instead of the people around us. I just read someone else’s blog about how words are so powerful and so we need to be very careful about what words we let come out of our mouths. As important as watching our words to other people is, it’s equally important to watch the words we tell ourselves. We often seem to be constantly criticizing ourselves instead of praising ourselves for the accomplishments we have done. At the end of the day, I feel like we need to be easier on ourselves if we want to improve because improvement takes time, but being harsh on ourselves will just make everything a lot harder on ourselves.
ReplyDeleteHey Emily! Your ending statement perfectly encapsulates your argument and I wholeheartedly agree with it. Rather than other's words, it is my own words and negative thoughts that have the most impact on my mood and attitude. Our generation seems to have more self-criticism than any other generation, and saying positive affirmations and essentially "faking" a non-negative stance could surely benefit our moods as a whole. In addition, omitting certain words from our vocabulary like "I can't do it" would be helpful, although hard. I definitely could use some of this in my own life.
ReplyDeleteHi Emily, I watched a video about a hyper-athlete called David Goggins. He truly believes that anything is possible with enough mental fortitude and ambition. His programs try to push what the human mind is capable of doing and he thinks that opening yourself is the only way you can evolve into something greater. Based on these findings, it seems like positive thinking and manifesting might have some scientific basis.
ReplyDeleteHello Emily,
ReplyDeleteI certainly need to work on reducing my self-deprecating humor. Often, I find it as a way to take life less seriously and just accept my faults. However, I understand that it is okay to expect more of myself and "fake it till I make it" sometimes, because the more I degrade myself verbally or mentally, the more I believe it. Every time I walk into English class, I slam my magnet on the William Shakes fear poster because of the anxiety that arises after the forethought of how much more overwhelming the class will become if I do not constantly improve. I will definitely try staying more optimistic and being nicer to myself.
Hi Emily, thanks for this great reminder. I think people know this is true but it’s good to mention it more often. Negative words can fester in the mind and then manifest and become a reality. I have read that bullying can cause kids to become chronically depressed and can even affect them later in life as adults depending on how bad it was, if there wasn’t any other positive outlet, etc. Maria Richter’s experiments are really important. I do think words of affirmation ease stress and create moments of happiness and joy. It’s always a good thing for everyone to be able to surround their life with positive experiences.
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