July 28, 2010
The Mathematics of Powerful Communication: Concrete > Abstract
by Terry Gault
This article from NPR's website makes the point that abstract communication is FAR less effective than concrete communication.
"Concrete and abstract words activate different parts of the cerebral cortex. Concrete words like hammer, hit and hard are processed more by areas at the back of the brain that handle visual and spatial information. Abstract words like justice, fairly andrender activate the frontal lobes, which process information independent of any particular sense (vision, hearing, touch)."
How do you ensure that your communications are concrete? Use stories, images and visual metaphors to illustrate your points.
photo credit: cellular immunity
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Hi Terry, abstract words seem to hit the nerve more often though. If you want to build tension it is good to use them but I agree, you also have to make your message concrete.
We think in terms of pictures and our brain works on associations.
Clear and simple trumps abstract and generalities every time.
Thanks for the Post and Reminder!
You are welcome, Fred. Thanks for participating!
Theresa – My concern is that the "tension" leads to frustration to "WTF?" or worse, the perception: "This person cannot communicate their thoughts but they sure use a lot of fancy language."