Studies show that your word-power determines your earning power, that your skill in self-expression determines your status in life. The link between your vocabulary and your income is universally recognized. Researchers have discovered that college students with the lowest vocabulary scores usually end up in the lowest income group. So, if you wish to maximize your earning power, it is clearly vital to develop a powerful vocabulary. Similarly, advancement in your career depends to a large extent on your capacity to express yourself with clarity and precision. Even the most cursory examination of job advertisements shows that employers value employees who can demonstrate excellent oral and written communication skills. Within most companies, the people with the greatest command of words generally occupy the most powerful positions. It is clear then that the more words you understand and can use, the easier you will find it to impress the very people who have the power to fast-track your career. A powerful vocabulary is a highly-prized asset both socially and in the business world. There are very good reasons for this. Words enable you to conceive and articulate complex thoughts and ideas. The person who can use the right words at the right time enjoys a powerful advantage in any situation. The words of a salesman can secure a million dollar order. The words of a judge can imprison or set you free. A powerful vocabulary can make you sound like a genius. Every day we pass judgement on the intelligence, education, and status of complete strangers simply on the basis of hearing them utter a sentence or two. We accept or reject them on the evidence of the words they use. Let us not forget that other people judge us in exactly the same way! A limited vocabulary paralyses your powers of communication. It can even make you feel like a foreigner in your own country - hearing and reading things you cannot understand, struggling to express yourself while your more eloquent friends or colleagues are able to encapsulate every thought and idea with infuriating ease. Remember that the more words you have, the more ideas you have. The more ideas you can express, the greater influence you will have on those around you. When you improve your vocabulary, you immediately supercharge your powers of expression. Unfortunately, most people pick up words in a haphazard and serendipitous manner. As a result, their vocabulary is amorphous and demonstrably inadequate to their needs. Everyday, they see and hear important words that they neither recognize nor understand; and, lost in a fog of confusion, they are at the mercy of word spinners, persuaders, and propagandists. That's why it's so important for everyone to follow a progressive and structured vocabulary-building program. |
