The Power of Words Power Perfect

Since I started travelling around, I have not only been noting different accents within this huge country of Canada, but also, how words are being used, or should I say, how OFTEN words are being used.

I personally have had experience with the word "PERFECT". I have known people who have grown into adulthood haunted by this word. A word that is a catch 22 since the striving for perfection like the striving for virtue is a good thing, the total acquisition of it however, is not within the grasp of most of us humble humans.

I have especially noticed since coming to Vancouver Island, in a number of geographic locations this word "perfect" which I have also noticed is insidious and can crawl it's way into your habitual speaking patterns and take hold! Sometimes it feels like a loosing battle each time I find myself saying it in acknowledgement of something good or that is going smoothly or even serendipitously. I keep reminding myself it is a word I NOT want repeatedly used in my vocabulary. I work with children and what child needs to have the pressure of striving for perfection?  Indeed what adult does?

I am sure there are other words that can also do just as good a job without being "loaded", without being set up to create failure for who, as I said, is perfect?

I remember reading certain studies about how children succeed academically and in other ways.  I read you can create "pleasers" by constant praise, or you can create people who strive to meet their own unique limits but asking the child, "oh, look at that, you must be so pleased with yourself."

You may think this is all just semantics and makes no difference, however I beg to differ as do so many studies out there.

So how do you compete with a word like "perfect" in your face constantly by those who like the sound of it, or who cannot be bothered to really look at what they are saying or see nothing damaging about the constant use of it.  Perhaps in some settings, like so many words, they have no power, however in some settings, words can be both painful and damaging. Look at cyber bullying and just bullying in general.  Words have power.  And power, for me, is something that I don't want to neglect or take for granted.

There are so many wonderful words out there to fixate and get in the habit of using, and I am the first to admit, I would love to use more, however like so many habits, I think the first step in breaking them, is to admit responsibility and then take steps to make positive changes.  Not something anyone else can do for you!

So, for now, every time someone says "perfect", I will work to correct it, even if it is just in my head, that I am replacing it with another more appropriate word.  I have a few zillion other words I want to correct, however ANY word that does harm, that I can find a way of extinguishing, well, for me, that is at least a step in the right direction.  How about you?