Behind-the-Scenes Reasonings for your Use of Lexicon
Your words can’t be unsaid or unheard when spoken so choose them wisely
Certain words we use have their literal meanings and modes of expression. But they also have what I call their behind-the-scenes meanings — those kinds that portray something else other than what’s been said — either deeper in meaning or shallow.
It is paramount to mind these words we use as they may be hindering our self-development. I’m talking about words that exude confidence in meaning, and expressions that elicit positivity compared to their counterparts. These types of words go a long way to mend our paths and enable us to reach higher heights than we might believe.
As some of you may already know, I’m a words girl. So it’s easy to read (not judge) people through their use of words and understand the psychology of things as they express themselves through it.
This ability has enabled me to come up with several points backing some of the behind-the-scenes reasoning for your use of lexicons. Some of which are:
Your lexicon defines you.
The type of words you use in expressing or communicating to other people shows the type of person you are. If you’re gentle or rough, intelligent or unintelligent, likewise educated and uneducated. For instance, when you use curse words a lot in many of your sentences, it’s a sign of a rather brash upbringing. The type where there was less or a lack of protective/corrective mechanisms to put you in check each time you needed it.
But using gentler means of expressing yourself might mean that you were well taught (whether by self or by society), on what good etiquette means and its importance in social relations. We’re talking about words like please, I’m sorry, thank you — for starters. Other words such as excuse me, and other excusatory words like may I, if I may speak, can you…, permit me to…, and so on.
These two circumstances above of course can be contrariwise. Someone who utilizes gentler lexicons can come from a place of little or no proper home training, or less/no protective or corrective mechanisms as mentioned earlier, and vice-versa.
The meaning of a set lexicon for different categories of people
Likewise, somebody who uses harsher words in expression might depict an easily triggered person, low self-confident person, or even low self-esteem. And somebody who uses lots of excusatory words might not necessarily be a gentle person but more of a low self-esteem/confident individual who’s afraid to be themselves and people/please a lot. For instance, unnecessary use of words like sorry and please. These words confuse people a lot in their usage. Some people think using please when they aren’t asking for a favor is warranted because it shows they’re being polite and this is false. Whereas people who use the word “sorry” instead of or including other excusatory words are simply lacking in their self-esteem. For instance: sorry, please can you excuse me or sorry, can you show me the way to do that? This type of expression lacks vigor and tells of a passive rather than an assertive person. In which case sorry and please words are most used in unwarranted situations — as polite and gentle as they may seem.
The use of specific words
Specific words are direct. When you tailor down your words in expression, it connotes that you’re the straightforward type of person. The one who hits the nail on the head and isn’t cut out for hyperboles. Hyperboles are for people who are unbelievable or easily discredited. So they use ambiguous exaggerated words in expressing their meaning to make it spicier and hence, believable. You might be dealing with a liar or cunning person as the case may be.
Examples of some specific words in this scenario are: “rich, poor (not middle-class), black, white (no shades of grey), dead alive (not loss)” and so on. Using in-between words is more ambiguous and confusing. It also requires deeper comprehension which can be stressful sometimes.
This leads me to my next point
The use of conservatory words
A person who uses a conservative lexicon is mostly conservative. They are unlikely to go overboard with things beyond their words, generally. They don’t overgeneralize or overemphasize. Words like “sometimes, quite, a bit, at times, two days ago, the previous day, a fortnight ago” etc. They never mince words. They don’t use words to lure you to hear them out or be entertained by them. They inform, educate or impart knowledge to you precisely. This is similar to the point directly above.
They even utilize sentence finishers like “etcetera, and so on, and the list goes on…”. Instead of creating a long list or analyzing every single word, there needs to be.
When you meet someone who uses a conservatory lexicon in expression, they’re mostly authentic and also easy to comprehend.
Use of repetitive words
Repetitive words can go awry almost all the time. A good listener can instantly detect it, and an observant person can tell you’re not confident enough in your use of lexicons hence, why you keep repeating them. Otherwise, a confident person understands what they mean to say and conveys their message at once, using the right words once or at most twice — to buttress their point. But more than twice only shows you’re lacking in the ability to convince the next person — which might to a degree, measure your level of self-esteem as well.
Use of synonyms
When you’re hellbent on using different types of words with similar meanings, it portrays you as either very confusing, ignorant and or unintelligent. Because if you were well-informed you’d know that a word is enough (pun intended).
Imagine a wall to be your mental canvas and create the lexicons you wish to represent you on it
Words are powerful. When used, they can’t be taken back. Action may try to subdue it or make up for it, but what has been said or heard can’t be unsaid or unheard.
Our words are put together to form our lexicons which we use in expressing ourselves or communicating to others for ease of comprehension. Apart from this grave importance lies other characteristics that highlight the psychology behind each use of your lexicons regularly that can potentially improve our lives and help us develop well.
Some of this observatory psychology can be quite disturbing but worth realizing as our words can define us as a person. This calls for deeper measures to be taken to ensure we aren’t selling ourselves short or masking potential underlying threats that may mar our present and future.
This is why we must implore mindfulness in our choice of words before or while using them whether we are happy, upset, comfortable, or in a trance, to ensure we don’t portray what we are not, nor lose out on who we are, even if momentarily. Because that sucks too.
