Avoid these 5 weasel words to be truthful and accountable

I majored in applied mathematics and psychology, so I’m always up for an excellent mathematical discovery or psychology experiment. I recently watched a short video with Konstantin Kisin describing a fascinating psychology experiment. They gathered a group of women and used makeup to put scars on their faces before going into a job interview. The experiment aimed to determine whether people with facial disfigurement face discrimination. They showed them the scars in a mirror, and as they led them out of the room, they told them they would do one last touch-up before the interview. During the “touch-up,” they completely removed the scars. The women went into the job interview thinking they were completely scarred but looking normal. The result of the experiment was the women reported a massive level of discrimination. They even cited comments the interviewer made that they felt directly referenced their non-existent facial disfigurement. You can read the study here.

This study is a great example demonstrating the power of thinking and your beliefs about yourself. I’m sure you’ve heard the phrase, your perception is your reality. Thoughts are real, and your subconscious mind follows through on what you think and believe, regardless of whether it’s objectively true. Thoughts flow from language, so you must be careful about the words you use.