(gentle guitar music) (drawing utensil scratching)
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- [Narrator] Hey, Psych2Goers,
welcome back to another video.
Do you tend to blurt out
whatever is in your head at the moment?
A recent study conducted by LinkedIn discusses
why language matters
and how it has the potential to significantly change
how other people view you, how well you do in the workplace,
and how you even view yourself.
This is why those who are intelligent, mature,
and reliable speak with care.
They make sure their words are appropriate
for their situation.
So, to make sure you know what to avoid saying,
here are 10 phrases that intelligent people
will generally avoid.
Number one.
"It's not my fault."
Do you blame others when you make a mistake?
Intelligent people tend to be accountable for their actions
and will rarely cast the blame onto others.
The moment you start pointing fingers
is the moment people start seeing you as someone
who lacks accountability for their actions.
Some may avoid working with you altogether,
and others may strike first and blame you
when something goes wrong.
Number two.
"This is not good enough.
This needs to be perfect."
Do you need things to be perfect?
According to behavioral science professor
and author Kristen Lee, expecting perfection
is to set yourself up for failure.
Smart people tend to work on completing things
to the best of their ability,
rather than expecting things to be flawless.
From there, they can make improvements
and learn from their mistakes.
Number three.
"That's not in my job description."
This often sarcastic phrase can make someone sound
as though they're only willing
to do the bare minimum required to keep getting a paycheck,
which can end badly if they're looking for job security.
Smart people will generally discuss this with their manager
if they feel like what they're being asked is inappropriate,
rather than outright refusing.
Having these discussions also enables you and your boss
to develop a long-term understanding of what you should
and shouldn't be doing.
Number four.
"It's not fair."
Do you often hear people shout this
when things don't work out their way?
Oftentimes, you might hear children say this
when they don't get what they want.
So, when you do use this phrase,
it can make you look immature and naive.
Instead, if you don't feel like a fair decision
has been made, you may want to rephrase your words
such as to ask,
"Would you mind telling me what I could have improved on
so I can do better next time?"
Number five.
"I have a high IQ and therefore I am smarter than you."
Did you know that according to some studies,
there are nine kinds of intelligence.
IQ tests examine only one particular kind,
and they usually favor people who are good at solving tasks
such as puzzles and problems.
While there is nothing wrong with being smart,
using that as evidence
that you are in the right comes across
as arrogant and entitled.
Number six.
"No offense but..."
Sentences that start with no offense
often end up being offensive.
People who are smart tend to avoid this
because they don't wanna put someone on the defensive
before they've even gotten their point across.
So, instead of using phrases like this,
you might wanna find a way to take any sign of disrespect
or offense out of the equation altogether.
Number seven.
"This might be a stupid question but..."
Have you been embarrassed to ask something
and so you start off with this sentence?
Smart people tend to avoid these
because they suggest that you lack confidence,
which makes the people
you're speaking to lose confidence in you.
Generally, if you are not confident in what you're saying,
then no one else will be either.
Number eight.
"I can't do it."
Were you ever overwhelmed by a task
that you keep telling yourself that you can't do it?
You attract what you think, and smart people know this.
Henry Ford even suggested that if you think
you can't do something, then you probably can't.
If you think you can, then you'll find a way.
Positivity breeds positivity.
Number nine.
"This will only take a minute."
Have you ever heard someone say this
and then take hours to actually finish it?
It's important to avoid this saying
because it can undermine your skills
or exaggerate your ability to realistically complete a task.
While you may say that it won't take long,
it's best to avoid making it sound like the task
can be completed any sooner than it can actually be,
since it can end up affecting
other people's impression of you.
And number 10.
"I told you so."
Do you know someone who tends to brag about
how they were able to fix something?
Some people like to say, "I told you so,"
when they've succeeded at something
to feel superior to their peers.
However, this saying can be seen as childish behavior
because it's a way to purposefully put other people down.
Instead of using it as a way to brag,
intelligent people will try to solve the problem
as a way to help those who are having trouble with it.
You may have all used these phrases at some point
in your life, but it's not a measure of your intelligence.
As you get older and more mature,
you get better at using your language in social situations
to develop more effective communication.
If you found this video helpful, be sure to like, subscribe,
and share this video with those who might benefit from it.
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The references and studies used in this video are added
in the description below.
Thanks for watching, and we'll see you in our next video.