Minority Spoons

... for minorities

Each spoon has a unique provenance. Topics link in a serendipitous and occasionally logical but always fascinating way. So choose a Spoon to read about - or choose a Topic and see how it interweaves with others and connects with its Spoon.

Hand Spoon

WordsSuccintness

AI created this podcast in 5 minutes - no humans involved. It read this Post then made two voices chat about it. Uncanny.

This spoon is designed to be easier to hold by having a knuckle to grip. Specifically in the hand.

Hence Hand Spoon, an otherwise superfluous use of the word hand. But Americans, an excessive culture, would ask “Why use one word when you can use ten?”

We all use redundant words, sometimes in order to give our brain time to connect with our mouth in a meaningful way, sometimes because we like the sound of our own voice.

Be succinct! Examples follow after this (see what I did there?).

Can you say more by saying less? That was from the Speak Good English Movement’s Facebook page. Browsing about how to use words well is fascinating.

Here are 5 Steps to Being More Concise When Speaking from The Voice Spa.

1 Stop Over-Explaining. Have confidence that your message is understood. You don’t need to repeat yourself with different words.
2 Speak in chunks of essential information. Make sure you’re delivering your message in bullet format. This will help you speak better in general.
3 Eliminate phrases that don’t mean anything, like, “As I said before…” and “I just wanted to tell you…” and, of course, eliminate filler words.
4 Practice and record yourself for a minute each day for a week. Then edit for brevity. Try this with emails too!
5 Get to the point. Take minute details out of your message and bottom-line it for your listener. If you’re not concise people end up interrupting and micromanaging you.

My New Year’s resolution is to stop using the past tense so much. I harbour regret and hanker after the past when saying “I used to …” with emphasis on the “used”. And talking about myself rather than listening when the emphasis is on the “I”. Arrogance especially when interrupting to say it at all!

Maybe it’s an old persons routine, reminiscing endlessly, living in the past, when the present may be endless and boring. So I must aim to plan and look forward to future things with excitement. And try not to use the past tense!

230mm, ivy

326 words