"Our efficacy (skills, knowledge, experiences) will help us to use the right language at the right time to persuade and influence others. But our self-worth will determine whether we have the volition and confidence to attempt such persuasion and influence. Often, training and skills development are wasted good intentions. What we need are people who can help us believe in ourselves and jettison the accumulated baggage that impedes our actions." --Alan Weiss, Business Consultant

"Our efficacy (skills, knowledge, experiences) will help us to use the right language at the right time to persuade and influence others. But our self-worth will determine whether we have the volition and confidence to attempt such persuasion and influence. Often, training and skills development are wasted good intentions. What we need are people who can help us believe in ourselves and jettison the accumulated baggage that impedes our actions."

--Alan Weiss, Business Consultant

(Is the statement below true of you?)

"In conversations with people in our immediate social circles,

we exchange what we've learned elsewhere, occasionally delivering original thoughts. But few of us actually seek connection with people for their ability to present provocative ideas."

The Mehrabian Myth

Remember you heard that meaning in interpersonal communication was transmitted only 7% by your words but 38% tone of voice and 55% by your body language? Eminent social psychologist Albert Mehrabian from UCLA had done the research, so it must be true, right? No: Wrong. (And Prof. Mehrabian himself has long tried to bust this myth -- but with little success.)

Here, in 3 minutes, you can learn how a piece of research came to be badly misunderstood and sold as "the truth" to millions.

This wonderfully creative video busts the oft-quoted Mehrabian myth that words make up only 7% of communication. Take a look:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7dboA8cag1M

(If this link doesn't work, simply Google "Busting the Mehrabian Myth".)

Thanks to Speaker Net News for this link. You can subscribe to this weekly, informative newsletter for authors and speakers at www.speakernetnews.com.

(In-depth information is available at website, www.culturalcreatives.org.)

Example sentence:

"When preparing his talks, Leonard found the term cultural creatives to be a more accurate and precise term than the overused words 'modernists' or 'activists'."

(Dear reader: I consider myself a cultural creative.)

"He was good-natured, obliging and immensely ignorant, and was endowed with a stupidity which by the least little stretch would go around the globe four times and tie."

--Mark Twain

I hope you enjoyed the change of pace and format this week.

Until next week, best wishes to all.

Loren Ekroth, publisher.

(Words this issue: 504 Reading time: 2 minutes

Video Viewing time: 3 minutes

1. Believing in ourselves 2. Do you seek out different ideas? 3. The Mehrabian Myth 4. Word-a-Week 5. Barbed Ire

6. Aloha

Loren Ekroth ©2010, all rights reserved

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