The value of words is apparent. We know it when we see it.
We all know those people whose words carry immense value. They seldom speak out, but when they do, it seems like every word is calculated and perfect for the situation. They’re wise, insightful, and don’t waste words. The things they say feel heavy. They feel important.
Conversely, we all know those people whose words have little or no value. They speak any time they get the chance, and clearly don’t put much thought into what they say. Their words feel light, can be annoying, and often times aren’t worth reading or listening to.
What we don’t see is how our own words are viewed. Obviously they are important to us, they’re our words… but are they valuable to the people who read or listen to them?
Two factors make up the value of your words:
Quantity and quality.
If you are very well-read, objectively intelligent and wise, but you post on Facebook 12 times a day, your words will lose value. It’s reality. Too much of a good thing is a bad thing. People can’t keep up with that. They will get used to glazing over your words because they simply don’t have the time to take in your top-notch wisdom.
If you publish an incredibly insightful blog post once every 2 months, your words will also lose value. People will forget about you. They will not have enough reminders to keep up with your writing, so they won’t expect it. It’ll be a nice surprise every once in awhile, but nothing to read into too much.
It’s best to find a balance between the two. Speak up enough to be regularly noticed by people who strongly subscribe to your ideas, but not too often that it cheapens your words.
Let’s add quality to the equation.
First, let’s define high-quality words and low-quality words.
High-quality words are those that are clearly thought through. They’re clearly backed up with solid facts, and they offer some form of value to the people reading them. Whether it’s new insights, new perspective, practical, actionable tips, or something of that nature, high-quality words are directly valuable to the people reading them.
Low-quality words are the opposite. They often come from a place of frustration, anger, or something of the sort. They involve complaints, groundless claims and assumptions, and personal attacks. These words do not provide value to the reader. In fact, reading these words often becomes a cost to the reader. Sometimes the cost is emotional, sometimes it’s wasted time and energy.
The last two points assumed that words were high quality. Let’s assume this time that they are low quality.
If you don’t put much thought into your words and you post on Facebook 12 times a day, your words will definitely lose value. People will probably even call you out for this.
If you rarely speak up, but when you do it comes in the form of complaints, truths that are clearly false, and assumptions without solid ground, your words will be more valuable than if you’re putting this type of content out 12 times a day. But… that’s not saying much.
If you constantly complain, offer no value, and claim things without backing them up, your words will lose value. Period. People will start to glaze over what you say, unconsciously assuming your words won’t be valuable.
It’s best to always say high-quality things.
In summary: say high-quality words often, but not too often. Don’t say low-quality words.