Читать книгу The Communication Playbook - Teri Kwal Gamble - Страница 187

Polarization is the use of either–or language that causes us to perceive and speak about the world in extremes. If you think about it, the English language encourages these false dichotomies, or choices. Even though most people are not beautiful or ugly, tall or short, fat or thin, for you or against you, the English language has few words descriptive of the middle positions. How does polarized language affect your ability to express yourself clearly?

Can you fill in the opposites for each of the following words?

 Conservative

 Fat

 Happy

 Bold

 Brave

 Tall

Next, try filling in two or more words between each pair of opposites. That’s more difficult, isn’t it? It’s harder for us to find words that express all possibilities, rather than the extremes. Because polarizing words fail to reflect the vast middle, they do not represent reality. Instead, they emphasize artificial divisions.