Today, the skill and art of personal communication is severely lacking. Most people do not consider the effect that their words will have on themselves, let alone others. Some find it difficult to express themselves, whether due to a lack of confidence or other factors.

What is the cause of this almost universal inability to communicate graciously and effectively? We are constantly bombarded with advertising—usually in the form of 30-second sound bytes using catchy phrases designed to focus our attention on a particular product or service. Long after an ad is over, its “jingle” still echoes in your mind. This leads you to consider the subject of the ad—whether it be dish detergent, breakfast cereal, toothpaste, dog food, etc.

One thing leads to another and, the next thing you know, you have your wallet in hand ready to go buy what you “can no longer live without”—even though you have been living without it all along.

Chances are, the advertiser spoke to you in your language, and reached you on your level. It employed a certain degree of clever psychology to lead you into believing that you need what the commercial has to offer. The ad may have used humor, or painted a somewhat credible scenario involving everyday life.

Whatever the approach, advertising seeks to appeal to you through words and images. If an ad cannot catch your eye, it can at least aim for your ear. And if it doesn’t stir you to some kind of action, the ad has failed.

Some people can more readily recall words and phrases as opposed to pictures or images, while others are more geared to the visual. Advertisers are aware of this. In order to maximize the impact of their promotions, they tailor their pitches accordingly. This depends on the medium (radio, television, Internet, etc.), as well as the audience they are targeting.

What is the point here? WORDS. Advertising is successful largely because of its “artful” use of language. Just as they have basically sculpted today’s fashion trends, Hollywood and Madison Avenue have also set the standards for acceptable speech and grammatical correctness. The negative impact that this has had on society is that people have become programmed to think and speak in the manner of the familiar slogans and other scripted dialogue to which they are regularly subjected.

The Bible has much to say about the words we speak. There is a saying, “If you can’t say something nice, don’t say anything at all.” Sadly, if people followed that advice, most would have nothing to say. While we should all exercise wisdom to know both when to speak and what to say, you need never be at a loss for words when sharing your thoughts with others.

One who is an effective speaker is well on the way to becoming an effective person. Our goal in this recurring section is to increase and enrich your word power—so that you are able to express yourself “In Other Words...”—not so you can impress others with a vocabulary that “goes over their head,” but to the end that you are able to “let your light so shine among men.”