Better Conversations Newsletter
"Raising the Standard of Conversation in Life"
Dr. Loren EkrothLoren Ekroth, Ph.D.
 
aka "Dr.Conversation" 
Are You Sometimes Wrong?
Loren Ekroth photo
Today's Contents
Conversation Quotation
Jest Video
Word-a-Week
Resourceville
Greek and Latin Roots
Words of Inspiration
Process of Abstraction
Permission to Reprint
Are You Sometimes Wrong?
Please Post on Social Media
Quick Links
Join Our List
Join Our Mailing List
This Week's Issue:
August 24,2012

Hello again, subscriber friend!

 

Today: Are You Sometimes Wrong?

Maybe so.  What you can do then.
 
Loren Ekroth, publisher

loren@conversationmatters.com

Today's Contents

This Week's Contents

 

Words this issue: 771 Est. reading time: 3 minutes

 

  1. Conversation Quotation
  2. Jest Video
  3. Word-a-Week
  4. Resourceville
  5. Greek and Latin Roots
  6. Words of Inspiration
  7. The Process of Abstraction
  8. Permission to Reprint
  9. This Week's Article
  10. Please Post in Social Media

1. Conversation Quotation 

"You May Talk Too Much About the Best of Subjects"

 

-- Benjamin Franklin 

2. Jest Video:  A Hoot!    

For the first time, I'm including a video instead of funny words.

 

Here's a short video about Amazon's "yesterday delivery."

 

http://tinyurl.com/cpo3etm

3.   Word-a-Week:  Philanthropreneur

Meaning: A person who starts a business to support a charity.

 

First coined in 1997 by Loren Ekroth, then publisher of The Philanthropreneur Newsletter.

 

Example sentence: "Actor and philanthropreneur Paul Newman started 'Newman's Own' products for the purpose of giving all after-tax profits to selected charities."

 

(Do you know of any other philanthropreneurs?)

4. Resourceville: How the Internet Works (video)

The World Science Festival put together this explanation of how information is transmitted over the internet.

View 3-minute video at http://bit.ly/L4EQsr

5. Greek and Latin Roots:  mea culpa (noun)
From Latin, mea (my) culpa (fault): my fault

 

Pronunciation: MAY-uh KUL-puh

 

Related English words culpable (adj), exculpate (verb), culpability (noun)

6.   Words of Inspiration

 

 

"It is only with the heart that one can see right.

What is essential is invisible to the eye."

 

--Antoine de Saint-Exupery.

 

7.  The Process of Abstraction
 

Here's where I can say mea culpa. My fault for

including a blurry graphic of the semantics ladder

of abstraction. Here is a link to a detailed explanation

and clear graphic of the ladder.

 

http://tinyurl.com/9dlr7o4

8.  Permission to Reprint

You may reprint any items from "Better Conversations" newsletters in your print or electronic newsletter. But please include the following paragraph:

Reprinted from "Better Conversations," an ezine featuring articles and tips to enhance conversation skills. Subscribe free and receive immediate access to 32 articles at
www.conversationmatters.com

9. Article: "Are You Sometimes Wrong?"

 

Are You Sometimes Wrong? 

 

Answer:  Yes.  We all are wrong, aka incorrect, from time to time.

 

"Most of us have encountered a person in our lives who can accurately be referred to as a know-it-all. This person seems to know everything about anything that gets brought up and tends to dominate the conversation. They don't take well to being questioned, and they have a hard time ever admitting that they were wrong."

 

--Madisyn Taylor

 

I myself prefer to be corrected when I'm wrong.  Not in a scolding way, but in a civil, respectful way. 

 

Sometimes I have my facts wrong.  For example, I may attribute a quotation or even a complete book to the wrong author.  Acting on my misinformation by reporting it to others, I lose credibility as a source.

 

Sometimes I draw the wrong conclusions (as do we all.)  I prefer to have someone point that out so I don't remain ignorant of the truth.

 

Sometimes I misjudge a person based on too little, or incorrect, information.  I prefer to know a person's true character rather tha something I imagine, and am grateful to be corrected.

 

Here is a related comment by Dr. Alan Weiss:

 

 "I meet far too many people who respond to a new idea or suggestion with, 'Let me tell you how I do it,' or, 'I disagree.' Their immediate response is to protect their own thinking patterns or try to prove they know more. These are people with sclerosis of the mind. Too many people don't change because they're afraid to admit they're wrong or inefficient or ineffective. Strong people change all the time because they know that's how they continue to improve.  With whom are you associating daily? Are you with those who build moated castles to defend against intellect, or those who sally forth daily to find better ways? Only you can decide with whom you'll ride. But even horses have the sense to follow those who move on to new pastures where food is more plentiful and the view changes." 

 

We all can welcome correction by sharing our idea and asking well-informed others "What do you think?"  or "Do I have the right idea here?"  (Asking poorly informed or ideological persons is a fool's errand.  It doesn't work.)

 

When you have the wisdom to check on the accuracy of your understanding, you'll continue to learn and grow.  Absent that, you'll stay stuck in being wrong.  You'll feel "right" but be wrong.

 

I recommend seeking the correct and accurate idea in matters from trivial to grand.  Often, everyday conversation is the way to do this. 

8. Please Post on Social Media
 

Just above the header "Better Conversations Newsletter" at the top of this issue, you'll see icons for Facebook and Twitter.  Clicking on F will take you to your Facebook page. The link to this issue will also appear.  You can add a comment and post it so your friends can access this newsletter.

 

Your assistance will help to "Raise the Standard of

Conversation in Life."  Many thanks.

Loren Ekroth ©2012, all rights reserved

 

Loren Ekroth, Ph.D. is a specialist in human communication and a national expert on conversation for business and social life. 

 

Contact at Loren@conversationmatters.com