Language
Prompt 05.12
How often do you pause to ask: Are the words I’m using actually doing justice to the complexity of this situation?
Language is more than communication. The words we choose shape what we notice, what we prioritize, and what we believe is possible. When we speak in shortcuts, we think in shortcuts. And that leads to decisions that are just as oversimplified.
What might shift if your language became more precise? More thoughtful? More systems-aware?
Start noticing how you talk about problems. Are you naming causes, or just symptoms? Are you identifying feedback loops, delays, unintended consequences? Or are you flattening complexity into blame and binary thinking?
When you use richer, clearer language, you see more clearly. You create better conversations, better insights, and ultimately, better outcomes.
Speak to illuminate. Because how you describe the system is how you understand it, and how you change it.