Linguistics are one of the most complex phenomena of humanity, embedded in the construction of history and establishment of civilizations; language is set at the core of human interaction, connection, and the science of human behavior.
The ethos behind “talk” at talk techniques is rooted in the impact of language on our perception of ourselves, experiences, and the world around us. While the sense of every day wellbeing is shaped by a multifaceted sphere of factors beyond the language we use; our focus on cultivating a sense of wellbeing focused on the way we talk, to ourselves and one another, is grounded in the sense of deliberate agency we have when it comes to having conversations. At talk techniques, we promote a sense of crafting them more thoughtfully.
There’s a lot more to say about this, shaped by decades of human interaction, behavior, and scientific research- which we hope to continue talking to you about, one conversation at a time. For our first piece back, we wanted to come back to our core by unfolding the power of language and the many ways it can impact perception, experience, and in turn and our sense of wellbeing.
Recent behavioural and neuroimaging research suggests that the way we put words to our emotional experiences can influence how we understand and experience them. We often think of language as simply giving a name to an emotion that already exists. But psychological constructionist theories of emotion suggest that words such as “fear,” “disgust,” and “anger” can do more than describe what we feel. They give us a framework through which the brain can make sense of otherwise ambiguous sensations within a particular context. In this way, the words we use to describe an emotion can shape how that emotion is understood and experienced (Lindquist et al., 2012).
Language also plays a role in how we perceive the world and the people around us. Research across linguistics and psychology suggests that even subtle differences in the way we use language can influence our perceptions and beliefs, including how we interpret and respond to what is around us (Stanford University, 2019). This becomes particularly interesting when we think about labels. The words we use to describe someone can influence how we understand them, and research on public perceptions of mental illness has shown that associating schizophrenia with dangerousness can lead to more negative emotional responses and greater social distance. In contrast, viewing someone as being in need of help can produce more varied responses (Link et al., 1999). Language also shapes how we understand and regulate our own emotions from an early age, with research suggesting that children use language as pivotal part of their developing ability to regulate emotion (Cole et al., 2010).
Another vast domain of language is its relationship with culture; a topic we hope to unpack in more detail at a later point. The relationship between language and cognition has long been investigated across psychology and linguistics. Research with Chinese-English bilinguals offers an interesting perspective on this relationship, finding that dialectical thinking was associated with greater variation in how individuals perceived their own and others’ personality and behavior across different linguistic contexts. The findings point to the role of culture in shaping the relationship between language and cognition, and to how our perceptions of ourselves and others can shift in response to cultural and linguistic contexts (Wang et al., 2013).
The conversations we have with the people around us shape more of our lives than we tend to realize. The phone call to catch up with a friend, the daily debriefs with parents, the advice you get from an uncle in the midst of Friday lunch, the inspiration from hearing about your elderly’s lives in your grandparents’ majlis, the check in you have with your boss at work, the small talk with the barista’s at your favorite neighborhood coffee stop, and the way you speak to yourself while reflecting on a specific reaction within your day. The words we use, conversations we have, the way we talk, to those around us, and our own self has a lot more impact than is evident at the surface. It impacts the way we perceive things, the thoughts we have, and in turn, how we feel and behave. If we are a part of supporting you to have even one conversation more kindly and thoughtfully, with yourself or anyone around you; that would be our mission served.
As we leave this conversation, we leave a point of reflection on the words we use and the ways they shape how we see ourselves:
When does something someone says become something we start saying to ourselves?
Thank you for always being a part of our talk techniques family, and we hope that this can be the start of another chapter that prompts reflection and a conversation in a way that contributes to your wellbeing.
Talk Soon,
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