Bell, Bail, Bale

Bell, Bail, Bale: English is hard. Understanding context makes all the difference when it comes to communication. Before thinking you understand what someone is saying, ask questions for clarity. Restate what you think you heard using different words to make sure you heard things correctly.

To, Too, Two, Tutu

To, too, two, tutu: English is hard. However, it takes the same amount of breath to bless as it does to curse. Most of my writing these days has been finding ways to speak blessings. It totally changes your state of mind when you think of ways to speak positively about someone instead of finding ways to tear them down.

For many, the curses come much more freely than blessings because very little though is spent spewing negativity. It's really not surprising. It's all around us. We are constantly bombarded with it at every turn: human interaction in public spaces, the news media, social media, etc. Before giving the knee-jerk response of negativity, take a minute and find something pleasant to say. I don't mean you have to "lie" about the subject at hand which you may loathe. Simply speak on another matter which you can share something uplifting. (A bit of commentary. FB dictionary doesn't even contain the word "uplifting".) That should tell you something.

The idea of blessing is not just for conversations. Take time to write down specific things you would like to share with others; possibly a mate, a friend, a child, a coworker, etc., and then give it to them in print. That way you can be certain you communicate it as clearly as possible, and it can also become a keepsake for them. Try it once or twice. I think you may like it.

Sense, Since, Scents, Cents

Sense, since, scents, cents: English is hard. Communication is harder. I wish I knew another language besides English. I took some Spanish in college, but never anything beyond the required 2 semesters. I feel that my disdain for English would probably be quelled by the complexity of other languages. They are probably all difficult. However, I feel English is complicated by "melting" all kinds of things from many languages. Regardless, I still hate English as a form of communication. Unfortunately, I have no valid alternative.

Knave, Nave, Know, Now

Knave, Nave, Know, Now: English is hard. Communication is harder. So much of our communication is non-verbal: pitch, volume, intonation, emphasis, inflection, facial tics, posture, gestures, eye contact, eye movement, ... We do all of these things subconsciously when we speak, yet none of this is communicated when we write. We've tried to adapt to the digital age by capitalizing, emojis, acronyms, bold, italics, underline, ... However, you cannot completely emulate human behavior, hence, communication, by words alone. If it's important, make time to have a face to face conversation. It will mean more to the hearer, whether it's good news or bad.

English Is Hard - New, Knew, Gnu

New, knew, gnu: English is hard. Communication is harder. Context is often difficult to ascertain in terse phrases, like texting. That's why it's important to have actual conversations when the topic is important. Even in long email, nonverbals are lost in translation and your meaning can get sidetracked by the internal frame of reference of the reader. This is also the primary reason why AI, in my opinion, will never replace a real person.

Be human. Talk to other humans. It can make all the difference.