The 10 Most Common Words You Should Stop Using Now 169 Comments

Written by Topics: Low-Information Diet, Uncategorized

trady1.jpg
Is this what your thinking looks like?
[Thanks for the Japanese vending machine, Woesinger!]

Words are thoughts.

The better we choose our words, the more we hone our thinking machine, and just like software, it’s a case of GIGO: Garbage In, Garbage Out. Thinking hard is pointless if we don’t use the right tools.

Think and speak with precision. Less is often more. Here are 10 common words I have observed to cause stress, depression, and conflict due to their vagueness. All of them are overused to the point of being meaningless. The solution? Stop using them and find more descriptive alternatives. I recommend focusing on removing one or two each week, even if just as an exercise.

In no particular order…

1. Happiness
2. Success
3. Should
4. Responsible
5. Realistic
6. Reasonable
7. Spiritual
8. Good/Right
9. Bad/Wrong
10. Moral

Do you love some of these? Most of us do. But… try and define them without using an equally vague synonym or a tautology.

But why do we love them?

Because they remove the heavy lifting of real thinking. These socially-accepted throwaway terms are crutches for unclear thinking, just like “thing”, “stuff”, or “interesting”–enemies of good writers worldwide. But the above 10 are much more dangerous, as they encourage us to compare, judge, or fool ourselves and others.

Trim the fat and cultivate your thinking with more creative and expressive word choice. As Ludwig Wittgenstein once said, “The limits of my language are the limits of my world.”

Posted on July 27th, 2007

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169 Comments

  • Michael Long — July 28th, 2007, 12:42 am

    What one word do I wish people would stop using right now?

    Well, I can only think of, like, one word that, like, causes me to, like, explode when, like, everyone repeats it like ten times in, like, a single sentence. It’s like they can’t bother like even thinking of like, the right word.

    BTW,”like” is, like, closely followed by “‘ya know” and “whatever”.

    Reply

  • Adam Teece — July 28th, 2007, 1:02 am

    I definitely knew that some of these words are to be removed from my vocabulary. My personal coach is having me work on on removing them. I didn’t even think about happiness and success though. They are rather vague, and I think if you really do want to keep them, you should sit down and completely define what it means to you.

    Reply

  • ShadZee — July 28th, 2007, 1:41 am

    I like this. I’d like to propose a word to use in place of most of these: integrity (which brings it’s own baggage, but is thought provoking)

    For me it’s difficult to use “integrity” in the way I communicate, but I use the above words all the time ;-(

    Thanks for the brain exercise.

    Reply

  • ofg — July 28th, 2007, 1:54 am

    What are some of the words you’ve used to replace these?

    Reply

  • Paul — July 28th, 2007, 2:20 am

    Tim,

    Along these lines, a great book to read is “Words that Work” from Frank Luntz. It’s quite political but the message is the same.

    Paul

    Reply

  • Laura — July 28th, 2007, 2:30 am

    I disagree about “moral.” At many times morals/morality can and should be used if you can define what they mean to you because once they are defined, they are shorthand for the long explanation.

    Reply

  • Kelly M — July 28th, 2007, 2:44 am

    The 10 Most Common Words You “Must” Stop Using Now

    “Should” is the easiest one to pick on. “Must” is a much better word. Or “should” I say “must” is right? Use “must” and you will be more succesful, and happinness will follow. It is almost spiritual, actually! Responsible people use “must” because it’s realistic.

    Sorry for the weak humour above. Tim, you “must” add the word “truly” to your list. Not only is it cliche, it also has the effect of causing most of us to question one’s integrity when it is used!

    Reply

  • Thomas — July 28th, 2007, 3:55 am

    I’ve read your book, I like it. Walking down the path as well.

    So your argument is that those world simplify things? Isn’t that the whole premise of life. The one thing that is the absolute truth is that you are dead or alive. (I’m not going to bring religion into this).

    1. Happiness – This is what you want.
    2. Success – This is what you want.
    3. Should – I agree – shoulds are Regrets. I’m slowly removing all my regrets.
    4. Responsible – Sure if you don’t give a shit about anything, you can have no responsibility – but we are thinking and emotional people. You are responsible for yourself and what you believe in.
    5. Realistic – Realistic is accepting what you can change and what you can’t change.
    6. Reasonable – same as above.
    7. Spiritual – This is good, if you don’t fight, live, for something, you are just a machine. I know in the end, it doesn’t matter, but when you live – you live for something, even if it’s just that moment.
    8. Good/Right – I don’t like absolutes besides death/life. Everyone defines what’s good or right for themselves.
    9. Bad/Wrong – Same as above.
    10. Moral – W/O Morals or Principles – you are just straight up biological dna fighting for replication. Everyone should define what they want and live for. Otherwise your just genetic programming.

    I have a personal question for you though? Are you a silver spooner? I know you went to princeton and I’ve read your book and I agree w/ a lot your thoughts. How did you pay for school? Loans? Grants? Parents? Did you ever grow up feeling poor? Did you ever grow up feeling like you had nothing? Did you ever grow up like you had to be an adult and sacrifice for your family? I know you did not do everything from nothing – because no one does.

    In the end you have to give up everything to have everything.

    ###

    Hi Thomas!

    Thanks for the thought-provoking response and adding to the dialogue. I have to run to lunch (roasted pork sandwich with swiss cheese, for those interested in my “free” day diet) but to answer your question: I am not a “silver spooner” at all. My parents never made more than 50K per year combined, and a lot of people, several grants/scholarships, and personal work helped pay for school.

    I realize some of these words can have religious connotations, and my suggestion to remove them will therefore seem anti-religious. It isn’t. It’s a recommendation to examine your thinking and — if you choose to use words that are defined by a particular religion — realize that you’re using a word defined in dozens of different ways depending on the creed. Rather than label something “immoral”, for example, talk about the sin you’re referring to and explain yourself. Such words can be very dangerous when used without clear intent.

    Thanks again for your ideas!

    Pura vida,

    Tim

    Reply

  • Wild Bill — July 28th, 2007, 4:23 am

    Although I see your point Tim, happiness will be a hard one for me to remove from my vocabulary. Good/Right, Bad/Wrong are also going to be tough. My world must be limited. I really enjoy your blog, however removing these words might not be very realistic. ;)

    Reply

  • Daily Happiness Fact #14 - by Wild Bill — Passionate America — July 28th, 2007, 4:30 am

    [...] Ferriss author of The 4-Hour Workweek, thinks we should stop using the word happiness. Hmmmm, probably not going to happen. digg_url = [...]

  • Mikko Jarvenpaa — July 28th, 2007, 4:37 am

    Interesting list, Tim. I’m guessing this is compiled from the viewpoint of personal development (or commercial development even more so), and therefore might severely limit a person categorically avoiding using such words. I see the point and mostly agree on ‘should’, ‘reasonable’ and ‘happiness’ due to their vagueness. The latter two are so hard to codify that they can get you trouble unless you acknowledge the fuzziness. And therefore, instead of avoiding these words – wouldn’t it be better to acknowledge their limitations and use them more cautiously, especially when it comes to goal-setting and personal development?

    That more or less applies to the first seven words on your list, but recommending not using the last three? Sure, absolute moral judgments in the relative world we live in are the source of all trouble and turmoil, but this doesn’t mean they must be avoided. Instead, we must (not ‘should’, mind you) strive to using these words better – not perfectly, perfection being an unattainable absolute, but just better. World isn’t as black and white as to impose the complete avoidance of moral comparisons. Even in areas where we can apply more precision than in ethics – such as personal goal setting or building your business – these are useful terms, as long as you manage your use of them. After all, if you are not sure when you’ve arrived, you just need to keep going, ‘better’ being a much better alternative than ‘good enough’: even if you’re not sure of what moral is and what is right, you should aim in the direction you think most likely to be the best.

    Cheers,
    Mikko

    Reply

  • Tammy Lenski — July 28th, 2007, 5:15 am

    Tim, I really like this list, probably because four of the items are ones I also wish people would strike from their vocabulary when they’re in conflict. As a business mediator, I see a great deal of “should,” “right/wrong,” “responsible,” and “good/bad” judgment being flung around. It’s not only black-hole language (meaning it just sucks people in), but it’s a trap because it sidetracks the conversation from what can be accomplished. Here here!

    Reply

  • Mark McGuinness — July 28th, 2007, 5:52 am

    You could throw in ‘stress’ itself as well – it sounds like something that just happens to you, a fact of life, which stops you looking at the source of the problem and what do to about it.

    Reply

  • Aaron Brandon — July 28th, 2007, 6:00 am

    Thank you Tim!

    This will be my assignment for the weekend! No more tautologies.

    - Aaron

    Reply

  • leslie — July 28th, 2007, 8:25 am

    I always thought ‘miscommunication’ is the most over-used word in the office to hide incompetencies. Today, I learn something new. It’s true that thse words give you a ‘feel good’ feeling but don;t really mean much.

    Reply

  • Todd — July 28th, 2007, 8:55 am

    Hi Tim,

    Interesting subject, and I could see your point of view till I hit number 7. Numbers 7 through 10 are concepts that are generally understood through religion (take your pick.) I suppose that if a person has not considered the the concepts behind the words, then the words themselves would lose all impact and meaning. However, to those of us who practice a religion, those words not only have meaning but are, to many religions, kind of fundamental.

    I also noticed that the final 4 words are all well tied into the religious concept of conscience – and to take the thought a step further, if you do have a conscience that is bothering you, of course you will feel ‘stress, depression, and conflict.’ The solution to resolving that conflict is not to stop using a particular word but to face the issue that is causing you stress head on.

    As I see it, the result of removing the concept of right or wrong from how we live our lives would eliminate the need for the words morality and spirituality and I’m not so sure I want to live in a world where everyone does what seems right in his/her own eyes.

    Maybe I’m way out in left field on this one, and I’m sure your readers will let me know if I am…

    Todd

    Reply

  • Brendan — July 28th, 2007, 9:05 am

    Here’s another one:

    expensive

    Reply

  • p0ps blog — July 28th, 2007, 9:08 am

    The 10 Most Common Words You Should Stop Using Now…

    Realistically, it Should not be easy to Reasonably and Responsibly gain Happiness from Success, perhaps it is not Spiritual nor Moral to consider Good/Right or Bad/Wrong.read more | digg story…

  • Emon — July 28th, 2007, 9:08 am

    But, Tim, while they do encourage vagueness, they are dependent on the sentence they’re part of to make them seem so. Although, must admit 3, 5, and 7 I could live without. “I’m not religious, but I’m spiritual”…as much as I hate that word, the sentence makes me hate it even more. Just my dos centavos.

    Reply

  • Paul — July 28th, 2007, 9:57 am

    In light of your comments, perhaps an edit of the headline is in order?

    Reply

  • Rhett Laubach — July 28th, 2007, 10:39 am

    Clear language is a powerful concept. Replacing habitual and “positive” language with more precise “positive” language is a very powerful concept. Thanks, Tim. My Tim Time this week was well spent…

    Reply

  • Zach Even - Esh — July 28th, 2007, 10:43 am

    Tim, that’s an interesting post, amazing how powerful words can be.

    Or, if vague, they can be very confusing and less useful.

    You have certainly opened up an entirely new world of thinking for me!

    –z–

    Reply

  • Deyl Kearin — July 28th, 2007, 10:59 am

    I’ve always liked this: Job 38:2
    “Who is this that darkens my counsel with words without knowledge?”

    Reply

  • Scott Kurland — July 28th, 2007, 11:20 am

    Success and happiness: the progressive realization of a worthy ideal or goal.

    I figure freedom comes in two flavors: doing/having/being what you want and not doing/having/being what you don’t want. Interesting inference from the first flavor: if you don’t really know what you want – if you don’t at least have written goals and preferably also have written plans to achieve those goals – then you’re not free.

    Interesting homework; I came up with definitions that I, at least, like for all of them. I agree that thinking about the meanings of the words you use is productive, to be sure.

    Reply

  • Nic Williams — July 28th, 2007, 11:40 am

    I tease ppl all the time for using “should” – “its all emotion and no meaning”. Thanks for another 9 :)

    Reply

  • Nick Onken — July 28th, 2007, 11:40 am

    Instead of trimming of words with vague meanings, why not give meanings to those same words? I’d be willing to bet that taking the time to give meaning to the 10 words above will help give (a little more) meaning to a person’s life – help define and clarify it.

    Just because a word’s meaning may be different for you and me doesn’t mean you should stop using it. It just means our conversation should be improved so as to remove ambiguity when using potentially vague terms.

    Thanks for the thought provoking post!

    Reply

  • Jason — July 28th, 2007, 11:59 am

    “All of them are overused to the point of being meaningless.”

    I think you’re right, Tim. In the middle of reading the list I did in fact pretend blow my brains out with a finger gun.

    Reply

  • Victory Darwin — July 28th, 2007, 12:13 pm

    I remember in grade 4 elementary school
    we had to write an ENTIRE PARAGRAPH summary of a book the class read without using the word NICE. There was a mutiny (led by me)! I confronted the teacher and said, “We all agree that this is an impossible assignment! How could you possibly summarize ‘Charlotte’s Web’ without saying that either the boy or farmer or spider was really NICE?”

    Sounds ridiculous now, but of 28 9-year-olds, there was only 2 who completed the task. Martin, the kid who had his own personal 3-hole-punch in his packsack, and some book called a thoroarasus, and Keeder “the cheater”, who probably just copied from Martin.

    So if I was still 9, I’d say “Fine Tim, I guess you just don’t want me to be happy, successful, responsible or realistic anymore!”

    But I’ve matured now, so I’ll be blissful, victorious, accountable and pragmatic.

    plus I’ve got this:
    http://www.m-w.com/cgi-bin/thesaurus?book=Thesaurus&va=happiness

    ~Victory Darwin

    Reply

  • Tim Ferriss — July 28th, 2007, 12:39 pm

    Hi There,

    Victory, that is a fantastic story! I love it!

    Paul, brilliant catch. I was wondering when someone would point out that I used “should” in the headline. LOL… well done! It’s important to have fun with the small “stuff” ;)

    Have a brilliant weekend, all,

    Tim

    Reply

  • Yanik Silver — July 28th, 2007, 1:44 pm

    Tim,
    I’d add “Try” to the list.

    Anytime I hear that or I am about to say it –
    I know that action is not going to happen.

    -Yanik

    Reply

  • Michael Morales — July 28th, 2007, 2:32 pm

    Choosing Happiness
    “ Ilchi Lee that any people feel that they can only be happy and peaceful when they are given the right circumstances and conditions. However, we can be at peace and be content in this moment now, at this place now. This is our choice. There is nothing that is blocking this choice. Only our thoughts are obscuring this choice. Why can’t we be content and happy without conditions? Enlightenment is a choice that continues from instant to instant, from moment to moment.â€? – SRV

    Reply

  • Rob — July 28th, 2007, 3:12 pm

    Right up there with ‘like’ and ‘you know’, I’d throw in the word BASICALLY.

    Have you ever heard someone give a presentation or try to sound like they know what they’re talking about and ‘basically’ appears five times per sentence?

    “Well basically what the market here is doing is taking the basic inflow from this sector and then it’s basically outputting like so. Basically.”

    It’s a useless word that can almost always be removed from the sentence and the sentence won’t lose any meaning.

    Reply

  • Aurel — July 28th, 2007, 6:33 pm

    Know this one?

    “To think is to act – inside your brain” (William R. Ashby)

    Best, Aurel

    Reply

  • Kelly King Anderson — July 28th, 2007, 7:45 pm

    Interesting discussion! Tim, would you follow up this post with a “how to” change your vocabulary post? I’m up for the task but I’m not sure how to proceed. I am a bit addicted to my current vocab style and see the value in your proposal.

    Thanks for keeping me intrigued in how you live life so fully!

    Reply

  • Brian Clark — July 28th, 2007, 8:14 pm

    >>In light of your comments, perhaps an edit of the headline is in order?

    Luckily, “irony” was not on the list, Paul. :)

    Reply

  • links for 2007-07-29 « Keeping Up With the Joneses — July 28th, 2007, 8:29 pm

    [...] » The 10 Most Common Words You Should Stop Using Now The better we choose our words, the more we hone our thinking machine, and just like software, it’s a case of GIGO: Garbage In, Garbage Out. Thinking hard is pointless if we don’t use the right tools. (tags: writing) [...]

  • FIAR — July 28th, 2007, 11:40 pm

    So, I should remove the word “should” from my vocabulary?

    The 10 Most Common Words You Should Stop Using Now

    “3. Should”

    D’oh!

    Reply

  • FIAR — July 28th, 2007, 11:43 pm

    D’oh on me now. I see that was already pointed out. Perhaps replace “should” with “need to.”

    Reply

  • Jim Wagner — July 28th, 2007, 11:56 pm

    Tim,

    Have you ever read “Manual of Style” by Strunk and White? Timeless classic that stresses concise writing with no waste.

    Reply

  • Eliena Andrews — July 29th, 2007, 4:10 am

    wow, that was worth reading. thanks for this article…

    Reply

  • Shine — July 29th, 2007, 8:43 am

    We better be specific than vague – in our language, our goal-setting and therefore our actions, right? After all, we can’t get too far by merely promising ourselves happiness without defining what make us happy.

    Reply

  • David — July 29th, 2007, 10:54 am

    Tim, I’ve got no problem eliminating the ten words on your list. But “thing” and “stuff”, I’m holding onto those.

    Reply

  • Leigh W. — July 29th, 2007, 12:36 pm

    Someone posted “Perhaps replace “shouldâ€? with “need to.â€????

    Replacing the colloquial “Need to” with — [nothing] or maybe “please,…” if speaking to someone, eliminates this aggressive confrontation.

    “You need to move over.”

    “No, I don’t have that need at all.” LOL

    Reply

  • Thomas — July 29th, 2007, 12:43 pm

    Thanks for the reply. Yeh, I was raised catholic, but I don’t believe in dogma and ritual.

    Spirituality is what you makes you get a sh*t-eating grin when you are doing something you truly enjoy.

    Good times – pura vida indeed. Me gusta viajar, y estoy pensando que viver a sudamerica or centroamerica.

    Toodles.

    Reply

  • Douglas Jarquin — July 29th, 2007, 3:58 pm

    I knew they were not going to be easy words but I did not know they were going to be so difficult.

    Reply

  • ventureblogalist — July 29th, 2007, 7:37 pm

    *good* list.

    dont forget synergy.

    Reply

  • Jay — July 29th, 2007, 11:11 pm

    Thanks. Next time round your in Sydney Aust please ping my email.
    Regards
    J.

    Reply

  • Bryan@OneMan'sGoal.Com — July 30th, 2007, 4:48 am

    I wish people would stop using the word “like” if they aren’t actually describing something.

    Drives me nuts!

    Reply

  • Deepak — July 30th, 2007, 6:38 am

    Hi,

    If you don’t like the word ‘moral’, then the antonym ‘immoral’ simply reduces to ‘crime’or so. But surely we aren’t thinking on such narrower terms, right? Human mind is conditioned to respect human values to beginwith but changes happen due to hundred other factors. What hurts someone would hurt me as well. We need to grow beyond poor interpretations of religions. Do not try to jump from the above floor just because you hate walking down the stairs.

    Reply

  • Scott — July 30th, 2007, 7:31 am

    E-Prime really interests and challenges me, at least; eschewing all forms of the verb “to beâ€?: be, is, am, are, was, were, been and being, as well as their contractions, such as “it’s” and “I’m”.

    http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/E-Prime

    Reply

  • Alex — July 30th, 2007, 8:57 am

    Hi Tim,

    FYI – still no word about the Jack Canfield “Blog Bonus” interview.

    I sent in the BN.com receipt on Thursday and followed up with Amy – but haven’t heard anything yet.

    It sounds great, and I’m anxious to hear it. :)

    Cheers,

    Alex

    Reply

  • laree harvey — July 30th, 2007, 9:11 am

    Here’s a list of no-no I believe need eliminated: Can’t, Try, Just (as in I’m “just” a _______–you fill in the blank), Have To (yes, I KNOW that’s really a phrase!)And I suggest a few replacements: “can’t” may become either “I choose to,” “I choose NOT to,” or “can,”; try and just add nothing, and are gone. “Have to” may also be either of the choose dichotomy, or, to put a postive spin on obigations, “I GET to…”

    Reply

  • Paula G — July 30th, 2007, 9:39 am

    The one word that needs to be added to your list is “Try”. The every popular “I’ll try to” or “But I’m trying” (said with a whine). This word is not only stressful to the person saying it but also to those listening. And, it gets you nowhere in terms of forward process. You either “Do” or “Not Do”…as I believe Yoda said best.

    Reply

  • Daniela — July 30th, 2007, 9:50 am

    Very interesting, definitely worth a thought.

    Tim I just finished reading your book and I have to say it was very hard to get through one of the parts at the end. I was able to digest all your Argentina and Buenos Aires boasting throughout the book, despite my disagreement, but when it was coupled with Brazil and Rio de Janeiro bashing it really got to me.

    It was hard to remind myself not to throw the baby out with the bathwater and take in your suggestions even though your opinions about South America pissed me off. Very unfortunate.

    I liked the book nonetheless. I’ll keep it in my bookshelf for reference. I’m just having second thoughts about recommending it to others who may not be as understanding as I am…

    ###

    Hi Daniela!

    I appreciate the honesty. I actually love Brazil (my love affair with Argentina and Panama is obvious) and recently came back from Florianolopis. I’ve been to Sao Paolo and Rio a few times and dig both. BUT, both can be very, very dangerous. I don’t think that’s being alarmist. In Rio, a female friend was robbed on the same day that two other tourists I knew were assaulted at gun point. A week later, feuding drug lords gas bombed a bus full of innocent civilians. While I might not mind seeing machine guns and gangs on the streets, many people have a lower risk tolerance than I do, so I felt it prudent to be open about the environment. It’s also important to note, if you are Brazilian, that tourists are often more conspicuous and sought out as targets for petty crimes. Many Brazilians don’t experience this and thus underestimate how frequent it can be. It doesn’t make it a bad country at all. Brazil rocks. But the awareness is important.

    Muito obrigado for the comment and all the best,

    Tim

    Reply

  • Micropolitan Living — July 30th, 2007, 10:50 am

    [...] The 10 Most Common Words You Should Stop Using Now [...]

  • Natalie — July 30th, 2007, 3:42 pm

    You forgot the most important (or most useless) adjective: nice. Never, ever are we supposed to use the word ‘nice.’ It is so over used that it has lost all meaning – and anybody who has had a half decent teacher in primary school would be told so;)

    Reply

  • Cy — July 30th, 2007, 3:42 pm

    One should be realistic about acheiving spiritual happiness. Reasonable success is not good or bad, right or wrong but what the moral responsibility allows !!

    Reply

  • August — July 30th, 2007, 3:56 pm

    Try removing any conjugation of the verb, “to be.”

    The human mind really isn’t designed to understand what something is.

    Reply

  • Bob Collier — July 30th, 2007, 7:43 pm

    Interesting that the first two words are ‘happiness’ and ‘success’ – words that I use precisely *because* their meanings are so hazy. They’re like carte blanche words. An invitation to talk about ‘happiness’ or ‘success’ leads softly to all sorts of things that we really want to talk about. That’s my experience anyway.

    ‘Should’ – definitely. I dropped that word from my vocabulary when my first child was born. ‘Could’ is more useful.

    Don’t think I use any of the others much if at all.

    Okay. Random neural firings. I’m off to buy your book.

    Bob Collier

    The Parental Intelligence Newsletter

    Reply

  • Jason Peck — July 30th, 2007, 8:01 pm

    Everyone in business please refrain from using:

    buzz, buzz-worthy, buzzable
    trendy, viral, cool
    implementable
    bandwidth (used to describe a person’s time)
    innovative, innovation
    nuances

    -Just my pet peeves. These are used so much no one really knows what they mean anymore.

    Reply

  • cheerfulmonk.com » Trashing Happiness — July 30th, 2007, 9:13 pm

    [...] Tim Ferriss suggests that we begin thinking with more precision and that a good start would be to avoid using these 10 words: [...]

  • pills4u — July 30th, 2007, 9:38 pm

    I am halfway through the book and salivate at the notion of living an alternate lifestlye. My problem… I work as a pharmacist in a hospital so my tasks different from an office-based position. I am just not able to apply the principles in this book to my current position. Help!

    Reply

  • Sharish Nahameedsh — July 31st, 2007, 9:08 am

    Three words/phrases: obnoxious, self-important, vacant. Good luck Tim with your spiritual quest for a soul.

    Reply

  • Steve — July 31st, 2007, 9:20 am

    Might it be better if we used the words properly and definitively instead of abolishing them? For instance: responsibility. Used as response-ability, it is a powerful reminder of how to live.

    Reply

  • Matt — July 31st, 2007, 11:34 am

    You Know What I Mean

    People use this at the end of their sentences and it is a sign of impatience. They want your response and agreement NOW.

    It is often used as one word: “youknowwhatImean” and often used by those who over use the word ” like”

    Reply

  • Bob Perye — July 31st, 2007, 1:34 pm

    My number one lingual peeve is the word “just”. As in “Oh I was JUST asking” or “I was JUST saying”.

    I prefer to own up to my motivation instead of hiding it behind yet another overused dismissive and / or self-deprecating expression. May the world follow my lead.

    -bp

    Reply

  • Stephen — July 31st, 2007, 2:52 pm

    I personally work very diligently at keeping two words out of my vocabulary: “Hope” and “Try”. These are over-used and can be like a crutch – “I sure hope I get that raise”, you might say to yourself. Then when you don’t you say, “Well, I tried.”
    Change your thinking and your actions by saying it this way: “I am sure going to work on getting a raise.” Then do not “try” but buckle down and DO.

    Reply

  • Lovejoy — July 31st, 2007, 5:27 pm

    “Why does the word ‘reality’ always have such a sinister, gray, fatalistic ring? It is the realists – that is to say, the death-eaters – who are responsible. But the men [and yes, the women] who are thoroughly wide awake and completely alive are in reality, and for these, reality has always been close to ecstasy.” — Henry Miller

    Reply

  • Kevin Wilke — August 1st, 2007, 12:47 pm

    I have become an avid believer in the power of words I use and thank you in your book and interviews for making this more aware for all of us.

    I have replaced “have to”, “should”, “can’t” and “try” with “choose to” or “I will”. The first give your power away or an easy out. The later you take personal ownership.

    I have also found myself using the word “you or we” when I really mean “me”, as a way to mentally deflect the meaning and not take ownership of it.

    Such as “A common thing we experience when doing something new is…” In fact when I first typed this, the first sentence said “the words we use” and then I caught myself!

    Reply

  • ideaXchange » Blog Archive » Writing on Crutches — August 1st, 2007, 12:52 pm

    [...] Tim Ferriss, author of the much-buzzed-about book The Four Hour Work Week, made a list of 10 common words you should stop using: 1. Happiness 2. Success 3. Should 4. Responsible 5. Realistic 6. Reasonable 7. Spiritual 8. [...]

  • The Wealthy Daughter Blog » Blog Archive » Word Definitions — August 1st, 2007, 3:55 pm

    [...] the blog by Timothy Ferris: The 10 most common works you should stop using now. You can find it at http://www.fourhourworkweek.com/blog/2007/07/27/the-10-most-common-words-you-should-stop-using-now/ Here are the words he thinks we should stop using because they remove the heavy lifting of real [...]

  • Are the words you use harmful to you? — August 1st, 2007, 10:02 pm

    [...] The 10 Most Common Words You Should Stop Using Now [...]

  • Gylon Jackson — August 2nd, 2007, 8:39 am

    I recently started a “success” blog. I consider myself a very smart person, but now I have a new perspective on things after reading the 10 words. Success and happiness are part of my everyday vocabulary, but now that I think about it, they are vague, boring and they do not describe what I feel or really want.
    Today I am going to stop using success and happiness. I am going to define my success and happiness!!!!!
    Thank you so much!

    Reply

  • Joel G Quile — August 2nd, 2007, 11:30 am

    Tim,

    What would other word might you use for “spiritual?”

    Your list really jump started my thinking.

    Gratefully,

    Joel

    ###

    Hi Joel,

    I would use philosophical or meditative, unless we’re talking about deity worship. If one believes in a god, I would consider them religious, even if unaffiliated with a major brand-name group.

    Hope that helps!

    Tim

    Reply

  •   The 10 Most Common Words You Should Stop Using Now by depression.vahalo.com — August 2nd, 2007, 9:49 pm

    [...] solution? Stop using them and find more descriptive alternatives. … article continues at Tim Ferriss brought to you by Depression and Clinical [...]

  • lisa — August 4th, 2007, 12:36 am

    One of the words which I wish we’d stop using is passionate. Not because passion isn’t a good thing, in fact, it’s rather great. But describing our jobs and why we love our jobs or “why we do you feel we should hire you?”…”well because I’m “passionate” about *fill in job choice here*.” Ahhhh…passion is not about a job choice.

    Reply

  • Nickolove Lovemore — August 4th, 2007, 3:33 am

    I agree with Yanik Silver’s suggested addition to the list – the word ‘try’.

    I hear people use it so often. It’s so lame! You just know when someone tells you that they will try to do something that they are not committed to doing it and 9 times out of 10 they won’t do it.

    Best wishes

    Nickolove

    Reply

  • Greta — August 4th, 2007, 12:49 pm

    Tim, I know what you mean and you’ve inspired me to add one of my own: Leadership.

    At my Alma Mater, Mount Holyoke, this word is plastered on all official publications. No one seems to agree on what the heck it means. I think the Mount Holyoke dictionary definition is something like: “of or pertaining to better than Smith.”

    Reply

  • musab — August 4th, 2007, 6:33 pm

    “Who is this that darkens my counsel with words without knowledge?�
    Tim, I know what you mean and you’ve inspired me to add one of my own: Leadership.

    Reply

  • Sandra — August 5th, 2007, 11:02 pm

    The word “should” applies both to the present and future tense, as well as “should have” which usually refers to regrets or “hindsight is always 20/20″ type pronouncements.

    I’d add the word “afraid” to the list. A fear and/or lack based view on life is so limiting and can be destructive.

    Rather than “banning” the words on your list, I think it’s really more important for people to first be aware of when they use them. Then begin to understand when and why they say them so they can transform thinking to something more positive.

    Reply

  • The Marshian Chronicles»Blog Archive » Success In The Ministry — August 7th, 2007, 7:49 am

    [...] read an excellent post over at Jollyblogger the other day where David was referring to a post from Timothy Ferriss. Now in keeping with good blogger tradition I’m going to spin a post off of both of [...]

  • Joann Loos — August 7th, 2007, 10:36 pm

    I’ve replaced “happiness” with “contentment”. I may or may not feel happy
    at a given time, but I am generally content. By content, I mean that I have
    no desperate needs (emotional, physical or fiscal) that are not addressed,
    and I am generally comfortable in the world.

    Please note that contentment is not antithetical to growth and achievement.
    It just means that I don’t hate where I am now.

    Reply

  • Chip Gallent — August 8th, 2007, 9:59 am

    The word that I’d love to remove from the English language is ‘can’t’. I loathe hearing my kids use that word. It’s always followed by a cop-out of some sort.

    Reply

  • Finer Minds - Todays top blog posts on Meditation - Powered by SocialRank — August 9th, 2007, 12:50 am

    [...] » The 10 Most Common Words You Should Stop Using Now [...]

  • DCer — August 9th, 2007, 3:02 pm

    I completely disagree with the removal of the word “Success” from one’s vocabulary. I work in aerospace and astronautics. If I was to explain everything at the level of detail necessary to identify individual success or if I was listening to someone explain the engineering or astrophysics reasons behind the success or failure of a project I’d waste my time and theirs. Success IS shorthand, but shorthand is valuable. Period.

    We built an executive dashboard that analyzes metrics down to traffic lights (Red, Yellow, Green). That quick definition of “success” absolutely follows the thinking in the Four Hour Workweek.

    My guess is that you don’t work with physicists and don’t understand the value of vague thinking in management of mathematics PhDs from the Ukraine. If I didn’t have the dashboard, regardless of “vague thinking” I’d be here at 10pm each night. Is that your goal Tim Ferriss?

    ###

    Hi DCer!

    No, that’s not my goal, of course. My goal was/is to get people thinking, and I really like your take on a context where “success” can be used. I’m a huge fan of using “interesting” and “stuff” in foreign languages in the early stages. There is a time and a place for some of these — I just don’t want them to be universal crutches, which is what they can become.

    Cheers!

    Tim

    Reply

  • DCer — August 10th, 2007, 4:32 pm

    No prob Tim. I just saw the list, and I use a lot of them to communicate general “sympatico” or “copacetic” feelings to Chinese engineers and Russian mathematicians. One issue I have with books that help people through work goals is that very often they look at capitalism as a game of sales. I work for a contractor that works in responding to proposals. There’s a lot of money and pride in aircraft and rockets, let me tell you, but it’s not like selling vitamins, it’s not really like selling at all, except in the most abstract way. So sometimes I think that the authors can use a good “jolting” into the world where I might bid on a $200 million contract that needs 30 engineers, 10 mathematicians, 20 IT folks and the like and winning the contract (selling) is merely the first part of a 10 year process.

    I think you’ve got a great book on the right track and you’ve reanalyzed what people want for a new generation in ways that Tony Robbins did for the 1980s or Andrew Carnegie did for the 30s/40s. More power too you. And I plan to bounce ideas around here to “keep you honest,” so don’t take it personal.

    Reply

  • Armand — August 11th, 2007, 7:08 am

    While I agree that by removing those words from our vocabulary we can expand our “borders”, I don’t think it’s doable. While I could erase them if I lived only among people who would do the same, I don’t think that this would work if everyone else around me would use those words.

    Anyway, it’s worth a try. Good brain exercise!

    Reply

  • R. Kuja — August 12th, 2007, 12:34 pm

    Excellent point Tim! Great-Brain exercise, as many have said.

    Yanik, you’re the Man! Nice add-on. You certainly have room to speak on that subject.

    Paula G stole my thunder with the Yoda quote (kudos girl!)
    I believe Alex reffered to the it on the vitual book tour with you Tim. Seems to be a common theme.

    ttfn

    Reply

  • Sam — August 12th, 2007, 2:36 pm

    How about adding “problem”, “no problem” and “not a problem” to the list.

    It drives me crazy when I thank someone for doing something and they respond that way. What happened to “your welcome” or “my pleasure”, etc. I didn’t ask if it would be a problem in the first place, so why did “problem” get into the convesation?

    How did these responses become commom place in so many businesses? It is terrible phone etiquette, especially in customer service departments. Ending a conversation where help was required or an issued needed resolution with “no problem” sure leaves a bad taste in my mouth.

    The first time I heard “no problem” I was surprised. Now it ruffles my feathers everytime.

    Reply

  • Rosalind Gardner — August 12th, 2007, 7:17 pm

    I agree with Yanik’s suggestion to eliminate the word ‘try’, although my other mentor Yoda perhaps said it best ‘Do or not do, there is no try’. :-)

    Reply

  • James Burgin — August 15th, 2007, 12:03 am

    Transformational vocabulary is a life long study of freedom. Freedom to play full out in life without the boundaries of our beliefs that surface through habitually spoken words.

    it is great to ‘catch’ these words that limit us – usually to start with when someone else points out our over-use of them. Then what happens is you get to notice them after they pop out – and finally before they pop out, giving you a chance to transform the word into something else more conscious and with real meaning and intention.

    Thanks for the list of 10 Tim. Plenty to play with here.

    I’m currently fascinated with the frequency that I hear the term ‘real quick’. …Usually said in a statement that is full of unconscious apology and justification – sorry for taking up your time with my presence – or something similar.

    Reply

  • Considering The Universe » Blog Archive — August 17th, 2007, 11:30 am

    [...] Godin  and Timothy Ferriss  had recent blog posts about ambiguous language. Seth was railing against business cliches, [...]

  • Woesinger — August 20th, 2007, 5:18 pm

    Good lord! Didn’t expect to see my random hotel vending machine snap turning up anywhere, but glad to see it’s of use to you, Tim!

    Reply

  • Mud — August 21st, 2007, 11:34 am

    Great Book Tim, still reading through it, but finding it is answering a lot of my questions about myself. I think some of your readers are missing your point. Your message is to examine every aspect of your lives, but we seem to get caught up on what you say about religion or a country or lifestyle etc. It is petty! Look at the principles Tim is sharing and taylor them to your own lifestyle. Don’t just throw his message out because he is not a devout religious person like you, or adore your culture etc.

    Reply

  • Olivia Hannah — August 21st, 2007, 3:32 pm

    I don’t have time to scroll the lot, but here are my nominees:
    nice – a filler – used when you can’t think of another word or want to avoid saying something negative, i.e., what you really think.
    moving forward – Does anyone really want to move backward? O.K. a few politicians and religious fanatics surely do, but the rest of us don’t.

    Reply

  • john-michael shaw — August 21st, 2007, 6:36 pm

    I haven’t looked through all of the previous comments, so this may have already been addressed. Unfortunately it’s not one word, it’s two. But it’s used in the context of a single word. Here goes. You say “how’s it goin’” to someone, and they respond with “Good, Good”, with both words spoken in an irritating rapid succession. THIS MUST BE STOPPED! It’s some kind of retro yuppie, just out of school, drive a leased beamer, gonna invent another google type mentality that’s driving this. Again, it must be stopped.

    Reply

  • Pat Siebert — August 23rd, 2007, 12:13 pm

    Check out Marshall Rosenberg’s book Nonviolent Communication – a Language of Life, if you want to find agreement with Tim’s choice of words that disconnect us from life. Suggestion, instead of using the words on the list, reference an experience you have had and describe it as it comes through your senses. What did you see, hear, touch, smell, that created your emotional response. Leave you evaluation and judgment out of the description. Next, what need or value was meet or not meet that produced the emotional response? And finally take the actions to produce the life you want related to that need? Most important, only do what is fun and brings you joy.

    Reply

  • Jill — August 28th, 2007, 6:34 pm

    Yes, I agree about “NO PROBLEM” I agree–that’s got to go away from the customer service lines that it’s proliferating on.
    The word “FUN”. Fun has lost it’s meaning.
    Next time you come back from an outing and describe it to someone who was not there, if it was fun, try to say specifically what it was. Examples would be like, “we laughed at…” “we made jokes where…” “we sang ” “we danced” “louie did his game where…” “someone dressed up like a…” “we bonded..” That’s more interesting.

    Reply

  • Randy — August 29th, 2007, 12:34 pm

    Another word for a future expanded list (let’s not get obsessive about this – let’s act!!) is “SURE” used instead of “You’re Welcome”. I have seen this response made to “Thank you” by many correspondants on news shows lately. Perhaps “sure” is meant to communicate “just doing my job” or “I don’t think your thank you is sincere”?

    Reply

  • christi — August 30th, 2007, 2:33 pm

    Alternative words to better describe your thinking is good, but there seems to be a mind-set of trying to link your comments to not acknowledging absolute truth by your audience. The absolute truth argument can in many ways depend on one’s belief system and their experience. There is, however, good and bad, moral and immoral that most human beings who have a heart know exist. Life isn’t always based on one’s feelings. We have to face hard truths that we can be dead wrong, we can act bad, and sometimes do things that hurt innocent people, which is immoral. More and more people in our society feel there is not a right or wrong and there is no absolute truth, which has birthed the present state of our government. The fact that stealing is wrong is absolute truth. The fact that abusing someone physically and/or emotionally is wrong is absolute truth. Murdering someone out of greed and hatred is seriously immoral and horrible. I agree that some of these words should be replaced by something more direct and descriptive, but the audience needs to know that all of us have a conscience and there are said and unsaid rules of living and treating people that are absolute if you have any kind of spirit and heart. If not, then we are not very humane.

    Reply

  • The Language of Thought | Considering The Universe — August 30th, 2007, 9:07 pm

    [...] Godin and Timothy Ferriss had recent blog posts about ambiguous language. Seth was railing against business cliches, [...]

  • Heggi — September 4th, 2007, 4:57 pm

    Hi Tim!
    I would also suggest to eliminate two more words:

    “trying”
    Eather it’s doing or not doing, “trying” is none of both. “Trying” is programming to loose in advance.

    “problem”
    I hate that word. “Problems” are a turn-off, whereas challanges are inviting. For sure a question of attitude.

    Bye bye :-)

    Reply

  • Adrienne Zurub — September 4th, 2007, 6:53 pm

    Speak and think with precision! Informative & insightful (I’m afraid to say more)

    Adrienne Zurub
    Author,
    ‘Notes From the Mothership ~ The Naked Invisibles’
    due out November 2007
    http://chasewunderlickpublishers.com.cn

    Reply

  • Ivo — September 8th, 2007, 7:39 am

    Bloody correct, I always wanted to get rid of them, they are socially accepted, theres no way out of it, and they mean nothin except if you use them correctly (probably just sayin them inside)

    Reply

  • Tyler — September 12th, 2007, 10:30 pm

    There are a lot of words I would appreciate to hear much more infrequently. However, I don’t think our top ten lists overlap much. ;-)

    I do find myself frequently listening to people talk and hearing little real content. Maybe it’s the way I listen – I have a tendency to listen to meaning rather than words. I know that’s kind of a strange concept, but it works well for me. Often people will misspeak, and I won’t notice because I was following their meaning.

    Unfortunately, this tendency makes it painfully obvious when people have nothing to say, or have no idea what they’re talking about. I just don’t know how to respond!

    I’m definitely a fan of more precise language – it adds so much more nuance to a conversation.

    Reply

  • Faith — September 15th, 2007, 5:34 pm

    Right /wrong replace with enriching choices or poor choice
    society never looks deeper has a rule beyond right/ wrong.
    an enriching choice always is morally good and a poor choice is always morally wrong and as far as morals are concerned life challanges and choices can be summed up in these thoughts- Do your best to do all that you say you will and commit no tresspass and that thoght put into practice will eliminate all crime and all evil if you just act in goodwill at all times the rest is just mental hashing as far as I am concened-by the way love your book !

    Reply

  • Betty Pokerwinski — September 16th, 2007, 4:26 pm

    Tm,

    I believe a lot of the bloggers here interpret the removal of a word as meaning removal of the word’s meaning. Happiness does not need to be removed from one’s life when one removes the word happiness from their vocabulary. It is obvious that many interpret this as what would happen. When I think about when/how I’d use hapiness in a particular sentence or comment I realize it would be used as a ‘wish for’ comment. One would not say ‘I have happiness’ that sounds corny. They would say ‘I am so happy’. You didn’t ask for everyone to remove happy…just happiness. If I use happiness, I’d say either ‘I’d acheive happiness if..’ or ‘you can have happiness’ .. Hmm… it doesn’t even flow well. Happiness is a sort of judgemental term. It is used to determine a result. You ‘can’ obtain happiness ‘if’.. Hmmm.. who can judge whether they will obtain this result before they even attempt? I suppose all this pondering one way or another is a serious loss of valuable time I could be using in more enjoyable pursuits.

    I think I can remove the word/term happiness easily, butI will continue to use happy all the time. :-)

    Enjoy,
    Betty

    Reply

  • LifeRemix Link-O-Rama « chasing the sun — September 17th, 2007, 1:38 pm

    [...] in lifestyle design. The Endless Summer: How to Travel the World and Improve It for Free The 10 Most Common Words You Should Stop Using Now Networking Tips from the White [...]

  • » Real Mind Control: The 21-Day No-Complaint Experiment — September 18th, 2007, 3:52 am

    [...] it was. The author was Will Bowen, a Kansas City minister who had recognized—as I have in a previous post—that word choice determines thought choice, which determines emotions and actions. It’s not [...]

  • Sarah Rainsberger — September 18th, 2007, 10:38 pm

    This is the thesis of George Orwell’s essay “Politics and the English Language” found here http://www.orwell.ru/library/essays/politics/english/e_polit for anyone who wants a deeper read into this idea.

    Reply

  • Shifting gears to the appreciative « Appreciative Inquiry Annotations — September 21st, 2007, 7:56 am

    [...] and so on to make each syllable and phrase rich in texture and nuance. Tim Ferris wants us to stop using some words.  He believes the words are overused and have lost meaning.  His purpose is to lower our stress [...]

  • Ian — September 22nd, 2007, 5:35 am

    I liked your list, regarding the good/right bad/wrong inclusions here is my all time favourite Sufi saying:
    “Beyond the ideas of right-doing and wrong-doing there is a field. I’ll meet you there”

    Reply

  • E-ssistance.com — September 26th, 2007, 10:59 am

    I can so relate to this one in my transcriptions. It’s hard for many people, including myself, to not say the words that Tim points out here. And one of the commentors commented on the word ‘like’ and ‘you know’ – so, so true. When I transcribe seminars and webinars I automatically take these out for my clients. What a difference it makes.

    Reply

  • Productivity Zen - Today’s Top Blog Posts on Productivity - Powered by SocialRank — October 1st, 2007, 5:29 am

    [...] » The 10 Most Common Words You Should Stop Using Now [...]

  • Paul — October 4th, 2007, 1:29 pm

    you fogot ‘semantics.’ I really hate it when people say “we’re just arguing about semantics.” 9/10 times, they do not know what they are talking about.

    Reply

  • Paul — October 4th, 2007, 1:32 pm

    and I disagree with some of the words on the list. Why “should”? is it misused as much as “semantics”?

    Should is an aux verb implying logical consequence. “If I press this button, that light SHOULD go on.”

    It is often confused with OUGHT, which is a word that does NOT get used ENOUGH.

    Have I told anyone lately that I really hate the word “semantics”?

    And why “good/right”? There are times when “correct” might more precisely take the place of either. But to banish these words to a world where, say a word like “semantics” ought to be banished, I think is wrong.

    pawl

    Reply

  • Byrne-in Down The House - sparking up the conversation — October 20th, 2007, 12:46 am

    [...] will acknowledge that I am fervently and unabashedly trying to revive the rigorous, demanding, and disciplined practice of good of old fashioned respectful argument in American discourse. I love a good verbal [...]

  • Sam Rogers, One Mouth Band » Ex-words — November 10th, 2007, 3:28 pm

    [...] 4-Hour Workweek have helped me make some major shifts in my life. In an recent post on his blog, Tim suggested removing ten ambiguous words from your vocabulary. I couldn’t agree more, and I’ve added two more that bug me but wind up in my [...]

  • auctionwally — December 30th, 2007, 10:51 am

    I agree Tim, people tend to overuse words and catchphrases to the extreme.

    As an auctioneer I am always trying to come up with new phrases in my chant to keep my crowd attentive, this works until that phrase gets worn out and I’ll get rid of it to use another.

    As you can imagine this is a challenge when your selling 200 -300 lots an evening!

    Thanks!

    Reply

  • Chloe — December 31st, 2007, 3:42 pm

    “Don’t should on yourself.”

    Reply

  • linda — January 16th, 2008, 2:23 pm

    I found this definition one day:

    counter word
    n.
    any word freely used as a general term of approval or disapproval without reference to its more exact meaning, as nice, terrible, lousy, terrific

    Reply

  • The Choice-Minimal Lifestyle: 6 Formulas for More Output and Less Overwhelm | The Blog of Author Tim Ferriss — February 7th, 2008, 8:34 pm

    [...] though I attended an Episcopal high school, I’m not religious in the common sense (and I don’t use the term “spiritual”), so this approach isn’t [...]

  • Bo Gulledge — February 26th, 2008, 10:33 am

    To further enhance clarity of thought, exercise your brain, improve critical thinking and write more clearly, check out e-prime. Basically, you eliminate the verb “to be” and all of it’s constructs from your writing. Even if you just gain conscious of its abundant usage you in writing it can help you write more effective sentences.

    Google “e-prime” and stretch your brain.

    Best Regards,

    Bo

    Reply

  • 12 Filtering Tips for Better Information in Half the Time | The Blog of Author Tim Ferriss — March 7th, 2008, 6:28 pm

    [...] Related resources: Download Google RSS Reader Subscribe to this blog’s RSS Feed How to Create a Paperless Life, Never Check Voicemail, Never Return Another Phone Call How to Take Notes Like an Alpha-Geek The 10 Most Common Words You Should Stop Using Now [...]

  • akthe47 — March 14th, 2008, 11:59 am

    Tim,
    I know this is a dated post, but I thought of something clever to get people going on this idea:

    If one uses the computer a lot for communication (e.g., chat or email frequently), if you download a program for Windows called Texter (Mac also has a freeware software that is similar in function), it is a program that sits in the background and replaces words as you type them on the screen.

    Rather than use the program properly to substitute words (such as just typing ‘ddate’ to make the date of the year appear in the place of ddate), you could have substitutions for these 10 words you’ve identified. And what better way to get into the habit of not using these words than to make Texter substitute the word ‘should’ or ‘right’ or ‘responsible’ with something like ‘abcdefg’ or ‘xxxxxxx’ or ‘tuvwxyz’. That will quickly prevent you from being able to type those words and force you to find a replacement. Then slowly you should be able to transfer that habit of not using those words into your spoken language.

    Just a suggestion if anybody is having problems with getting out of the habit of using these words.

    Reply

  • Rev. Antonio Hernandez — May 22nd, 2008, 6:40 am

    This is a marvelous website, and I hope this submission helps. There are far too many words and phrases that constitute tautologies, but I think the top 10 list you show could be a bit more generous.

    I have a list of words, phrases and verbal habits that should be BANISHED. It will make your skin crawl:

    1. Pause before saying either “million” or “billion”.
    2. “Anyway…”
    3. “Smoke-filled room(s)”
    4. “Disingenuous”
    5. Bell-weather
    6. Pronouncing divisive to rhyme with incisive. It is pronounced di-VIZ-iv.
    7. Surge
    8. “I mean…”
    9. “Okay”
    10. “Gonna”
    11. “C’mon…”
    12. Vet, vetting, vetted
    13. “Liberal media”
    14. Sea-change
    15. “Read(ing) tea leaves
    16. “Uh” or “duh”
    17. “So…”
    18. “[insert anything here]-wise”, such as “weather-wise”
    19. “It’s [the economy or any other word], stupid.”
    20. “At this point”
    21. “Rule of thumb”
    22. “That said” or “That being said”
    23. “Zero-sum game”
    24. “Begs the question”
    25. “You know…”
    26. “Proof is in the pudding”
    27. “With all due respect…”
    28. “Take a listen”
    29. To be honest/To tell you the truth
    30. Throw under the bus
    31. “Playing the [insert anything] card.”
    32. Smoking gun
    33. What next??

    And the BIGGIE that makes me want to vomit: “LOOK!”

    Thanks for letting me hog space. Think about these. People are almost exclusively speaking this way today.

    Reply

  • Martin Blake — September 9th, 2008, 2:25 pm

    Hi, Tim, there is a general deterioration of language not enough people are commenting about….Thanks for your contribution, and check out my blog!

    Reply

  • Denise — November 24th, 2008, 12:00 am

    Choosing our words means we’re living and thinking consciously, not just rambling on automatic. I do find myself using “interesting” a lot. It means I find something worthy of my attention and will require more thought, but its a bad habit and trite in conversation.

    1. Happiness – a choice we make daily. Its not something to attain to.
    2. Success – usually thought of in monetary terms but I find its more about being true to yourself and following your passions to find real fulfillment (exactly what you say/do/teach, Tim!).
    3. Should – In a personal context its something we feel we must do based on some other expectations. Whose? I’ve eliminated this word from my vocabulary.

    4. Responsible 5. Realistic 6. Reasonable 7. Spiritual
    8. Good/Right 9. Bad/Wrong 10. Moral

    Words 4-10 are based in opinion and arbitrary. Using them means we are judging ourselves or others. To push our opinion is ego based and futile, but it does create a good discussion when done respectfully. :)

    Other words I’d like to add:
    can’t – Almost profanity in my house as a child. Its not that I can’t do something, I’m choosing not to try (better to use won’t)
    never- too harsh for me, it just sounds negative, “I’m never going there”
    hate – is learned and a choice, and an excuse to stay in our comfort zones
    trying – just an excuse, either do it or don’t

    Reply

  • The Stuff of Thought | kupka.ca — December 23rd, 2008, 3:38 am

    [...] Tim’s blog post about choosing your words – the raw materials of your thoughts – carefully, and [...]

  • Justin — January 27th, 2009, 12:27 am

    The biggest vocabulary mistake to stop making is using can’t when you should be using won’t!!! Two entirely different words that when confused cripple your life.

    Reply

  • Stoicism 101: A Practical Guide for Entrepreneurs — April 13th, 2009, 3:06 am

    [...] and drew upon them for strength (Note from Tim: I dislike the word “spiritual” for reasons I’ve mentioned before, but scholar Pierre Hadot explains it’s appropriateness [...]

  • Marko — April 13th, 2009, 3:04 pm

    Words are subliminally powerful

    So really, generic approaches generate generic results

    Focus to get Focus results

    Thank You

    Reply

  • Jeff — April 13th, 2009, 3:29 pm

    Next time you are about to use one of the 10 words just eliminate the whole sentence and see where your mind takes you.

    Reply

  • pr — April 14th, 2009, 11:16 pm

    You used #3 in the blog article title :)

    Reply

  • kyle — April 15th, 2009, 10:39 am

    I agree, there needs to be a measure of moderation there. But, isn’t beautiful that we can even do this? Our ability to communicate and understand each other is so wonderful that we can say a multitude of things using the same word, but drawing from other information like context, mood, tone, history with that person etc. Think of how much can be embedded in the word ‘dude’. Dude! If we pursued the path eliminating over-used words too much, eventually we wouldn’t have a need to draw from the wells mentioned above and other fun intangibles.

    But while were playing with lists, ‘love’ needs to be on there. The same word that we use for a fierce and death-ignoring longing for another human is also used to describe how much we like Snickers. This calls for reform…

    Reply

  • Jeff — April 15th, 2009, 8:21 pm

    Thanks to Paul and others who have have suggested replacement words. This list is not an attempt to perfectly replace but just a bit of commentary on what might be considered when trying to avoid oversued words and phrases.

    1. Happiness = liveliness
    2. Success = Completion or end
    3. Should = Ought
    4. Responsible = required
    5. Realistic = practical?
    6. Reasonable = thought out
    7. Spiritual = essence or inner
    8. Good/Right = correct/incorrect
    9. Bad/Wrong = ill conceived, poorly executed, of selfish design
    10. Moral = leave judgement at the door

    Reply

  • J. Crow™ — April 23rd, 2009, 9:04 pm

    I have two: democrat and republican!

    Reply

  • Think Big » Blog Archive » Stoicism 101: A Practical Guide for Entrepreneurs - Tim Ferriss — May 4th, 2009, 12:41 am

    [...] exercises” and drew upon them for strength (Note from Tim: I dislike the word “spiritual” for reasons I’ve mentioned before, but scholar Pierre Hadot explains it’s appropriateness [...]

  • Calin — June 26th, 2009, 2:47 am

    I’ve seen this word replacement concept before, but never with these words.

    Now that I see happiness and success among them, and their re-routing towards Excitement (as in your book) – it really reframes the whole idea of self improvement and how we set the targets for more satisfaction in life.

    Very good mental trick, flexibility is always good, and mental flexibility is truly golden.

    Reply

  • nancie — July 5th, 2009, 3:22 pm

    abundance
    prosperity
    manifest
    um
    good
    peeps
    mind set

    Reply

  • Jules — August 5th, 2009, 9:28 pm

    I absolutely despise the word “should”. When someone says that to me, it implies that what I am currently doing is wrong. Who made them the judge?

    Reply

  • christi — August 6th, 2009, 5:25 am

    Jules:

    Should may seem like a judgmental word, and we may use another word to replace it….but, we have to be careful not to be “oversensitive” to constructive criticism. That is how we can improve. I can’t tell you how many times, I did not do something right, or I missed the mark, and someone let me know that I did. There is a difference between giving someone the right information, and someone who is just plain harsh. If we go through life not having this constructive criticism, someone who had the courage to tell us when we are going in the wrong direction ,then you will have more people in jail, more people addicted to alcohol, and more people in bad situations that they got themselves in and who wish that someone had told them that what they were doing was not the right thing. I remember someone let me know that a “hard head, makes for a soft behind”…which means, if you are stubborn, then you will get your butt kicked bad…and you have a painful butt.

    It is amazing that many in our generation simply can not handle the truth about ourselves and the advice that can save us a lot of heat, a lot of embarrassment and a lot of trouble. But, if you want to survive in this world…you got to take it…you got to take the “you really should” before you get to the place where “you really screwed up…now you have to pay for it”. It is always best to learn from the mistakes of others, instead of learning after you made it yourself….because sometimes that mistake will create a ditch that is a hard thing to get out of.

    Christi

    Reply

  • Rajj — August 12th, 2009, 2:38 am

    I always wanted to get rid of them, they are socially accepted, theres no way out of it, and they mean nothin except if you use them correctly

    Reply

  • Robert — November 1st, 2009, 9:42 pm

    I’ve lately become a student of Dialogue and so much is new, yet familiar….

    I’ve recently been led to the thataway site and happily found your blog there…

    Overuse of some words and phrases is problematic but I think expanding our vocabulary might be a wiser tack than shrinking it…..

    Cheers,
    Robert

    Reply

  • Guilherme D. — November 18th, 2009, 5:27 am

    In Neurolinguist programming, there is a method to deal with such vague language. It’s called ‘metamodel of language’, and it basically consists of questions to see what words like ‘happiness’, ‘better’, ‘worse’, etc, really mean to the person who is using it.
    This was one of the most valuable tools I learned in NLP, it really changes the way you think and communicate with others. (Are you interested in NLP? I’m experimenting with it, but I think there’s too much of a hype going)

    I didn’t think about making an exercise to cut those especific words out of my vocabulary, tho. Good thinking!
    I’ll start today.

    Você tá certo quanto ao Rio e São Paulo. Não acho que sejam bons lugares pra turistas. Mas brasileiros costumam ser ufanistas, ainda mais quando comparados à Argentina!

    Abraço,
    Guilherme

    Reply

  • Cameron Benz — July 25th, 2010, 1:30 pm

    Tim, just stumbled over this one, fun list. Now I cant fight the temptation to have a little fun with it.
    1. Happiness-cheeseburger and a margarita someplace warm enough to wear flip flops and shorts
    2. Success-having automated well enough to be able to run your business while sitting there enjoying said cheeseburger.
    3. Should-this is usually used as a preface to something we dread doing, like oh term papers, and further contributes to our procrastination
    4. Responsible-usually used by the powers of evil to try to convince we’re on the “wrong path”, i.e. theirs
    5. Realistic-Another word used by the powers of evil to convince us we’re on the “wrong path” i.e. theirs
    6. Reasonable-Great for your use(primarily in negotiating, but don’t fall for it. Semi-quoting a great sage.
    7. Spiritual-The word of granola munchers and others unfamiliar with the use of a razor.
    8. Good/Right-Megan Fox in a bikini
    9. Bad/Wrong-Tim or Roseanne Barr in a bikini(for completely separate reasons obviously) ;)
    10. Moral-a word used by people insisting they are the respective “high ground”

    2 other words to add:
    chillin’
    chillaxin(wtf does this even mean?)
    ethical(pretty much on the same level as moral)

    Reply

  • Ress — September 25th, 2010, 1:18 pm

    Isn’t this whole idea self-contradicting? The title is “Ten most common words you SHOULD stop using”. SHOULD I? Really? I guess I really SHOULD work on that…..and the hundreds of other “SHOULDS” that we hear on a daily basis in this society. Isn’t SHOULD one of those things you should never say? Actually, SHOULD is the only one on the list which I agree with…… ironically.

    Reply

  • David H. — October 21st, 2010, 5:51 pm

    So I can agree that these words are vague and cause stress, but what are your suggestions to replace them, being more specific as you asked?

    Reply

  • Mitch — October 30th, 2010, 5:03 pm

    Tim, great and timeless post.

    Eliminate the word “but” as well.

    It adds nothing. “And” works equally well. It has the added advantage of validating both sides. “But” negates all that came before it.

    I really like your blog, but you are doing it all wrong.
    I really like your blog, and you are doing it all wrong.

    (Even
    I really like your blog. You are doing it all wrong.
    is better)

    One definitely feels better than the other. It may make you listen. The other feels like “sandwich” feedback advice and disingenuous.

    Cheers!

    Reply

  • dpac — December 5th, 2010, 7:48 am

    It’s an interesting concept. I see what you are saying, often times being able to express something in a sharp and detailed way means that you actually Know that thing.
    I think it also has to do with having a clear mind. The more you can understand concepts like good/bad, spiritual, happiness, success etc or the better you can express these concepts in a simpler and broader language, the better grasp you have on their meaning.
    It helps your mind to have a clear grasp on different concepts.
    I read this article and I’m thinking I’ve been quite lazy as well. Not knowingly but how much more engaging and clear-minded my mind would be if I started trying to understand these words that mean so many different thing to so many different people.
    It’s a unique thought you put up Tim. Thanks

    Reply

  • alice hive — December 22nd, 2010, 5:25 pm

    I want to add: “rational”

    Reply

  • Haw — March 31st, 2011, 9:50 am

    The only ones I’ve seen used often are 3, 8, and 9.

    Just say things as they are.

    Reply

  • fe bencosme — April 30th, 2011, 5:36 am

    How about changing the headline too:

    “Stop Using these 10 Words Now!”

    Reply

  • Tubby Tockley — May 27th, 2011, 5:46 am

    Tim won’t publish this, even though I’ve bought his books plus copies for my friends, which are many. I’ve been using the word “c*nt” for many years now with great success. It’s just got a nice ring to it. My friends, know I’m serious when I use this word, and their wives and girlfriends, take me seriously.

    Break out of the mould Tim, be a daredevil, and use the word. It worked for Tony Soprano, it can work for you.

    Reply

  • David Pritts — July 5th, 2011, 2:02 am

    Nice post. I agree for the most part (Especially regarding “happiness”, “good”, and “bad”.) Of course, I don’t think it’s *realistic* or that many people will be likely to adopt your ideas :)

    Reply

  • David Pritts — July 5th, 2011, 2:04 am

    Also, your general argument about the ways in which language shapes our thinking would definitely be good material for future exploration/blogging. Perhaps you’ve already expanded on it in some other post…

    Reply

  • Damian Yerrick — August 17th, 2011, 11:24 am

    Computing and law use some of the words on this list as terms of art.

    For example, information technology gives specific meanings to “should”, “success”, and “responsible”. RFC 2119 documents best practice in using modal verbs, defining “SHOULD” as “there may exist valid reasons in particular circumstances to ignore a particular item, but the full implications must be understood and carefully weighed before choosing a different course.” I define “success” to mean reaching any endpoint in a well-defined procedure that is not a “failure” point. And a module of a computer program is “responsible” for the behaviors that other modules expect of it.

    In legal systems descended from the common law of England, “reasonable person” denotes a fictional character used to establish a standard of care in a negligence case, “succeed” (the verb form of “success”) means to establish a balance of probabilities in one’s favor, and “responsible” is roughly synonymous with liability in general. What words would you use instead for these concepts?

    Reply

  • Robert A Murphy — February 15th, 2012, 10:39 am

    I could not agree more. These words are vague and do not help us gain awareness into what we are feeling or sensing. I find the word “stress” to function in a similar way. People will use the word to define a range of emotions that are all quite different. And by using this word you are not able to really understand what you are feeling at all.

    I have a degree in comparative religion, meaning many people tell me about how they are spiritual, but not religious. What they MEAN is that they don’t go to church or are part of an organized religious institution. I’ve heard this dozens of times “Oh, I’m not religious, but I do pray, read religious texts, and generally try to be a good person – you know, I’m spiritual!” No, my dear friend, you are religious. :) People mean well, though.

    In the same vein, I wish businesses would stop using “solutions”. Ugh. What a meaningless phrase. When you see that word used you can go ahead and assume the marketing department from that company doesn’t have the first clue about what they’re selling.

    Reply

  • Fern — June 2nd, 2012, 10:19 pm

    The number 1 word I removed long ago was “Confidence”. No word has confused people seeking comfort in their being & world more than thinking there is a bundle of qualities that can have a single name attached to it.

    It has created empty cocky-ness and an over compensative lifestyle.

    - Experience is Confidence.
    - Remaining benign while acting upon challenges is Confidence.
    - Making the creative aspect of your sexuality universal is Confidence.

    confidence is Not Confidence – it’s BS.

    Reply

  • Oyunu — August 23rd, 2012, 1:10 pm

    Wow that was strange. I just wrote an extremely long comment but after I clicked submit my
    comment didn’t appear. Grrrr… well I’m not writing all that over again.

    Anyways, just wanted to say wonderful blog!

    Reply

  • Tandy — October 14th, 2012, 12:56 am

    I love this list, Tim. Great discussion on words we ‘should’ never use. Here are some words I have removed from my vocabulary and/or are pet peeves:
    1. No
    2. Not
    3. Don’t
    4. But
    5. Truthfully
    6. To tell you the truth…

    Thanks again for sharing and encouraging this lively discussion.
    Tandy

    Reply

  • Jakob (Android Blogger) — January 22nd, 2013, 5:04 am

    If we know more vocabulary we can better express our thoughts.
    But one word on my red list is the word trying.

    Trying is failing :)

    Reply

  • Allen Sivills — March 31st, 2013, 7:04 pm

    Hello everybody, I hope to have good time with you

    Reply

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