by Dave Mather.

Over the years, I’ve listened to thousands of business people in conversations ranging from one-on-ones to those in front of audiences of several thousand.

A common speech phenomenon is “universal speaking.” This involves speaking for others as if we are all the same. It’s innocent enough, except it clouds our speech and tends to inadvertently alienate others.

I’ve heard people switch almost mid-sentence, shifting from speaking for the “I” to speaking for the universal “we” or “you.”

We’re often told to use inclusive speech, to include others in the conversation. For example, instead of saying, “You need to set meaningful goals,” we might say, “It’s important we set meaningful goals,” thus including both the speaker and the listeners.

Read the rest of this article from The Epoch Times.