As part of my doctoral studies, I have been required to read a lot of books. During this time, I have come to notice something that I think is pretty vital about someone who wants to teach others. Using really big words that are tough to understand really doesn't come across as teaching. It comes across more as though you are trying to show off your education, or to prove how smart you are. It's almost as though some authors like to prove to you that they are smarter than you, simply by the way they write.
Don't get me wrong. There is a time and place for big words. A lot of occupations and fields of study have specialized vocabulary, and that's completely appropriate. There are even times when you need to use those big words when you are talking to people who may be unfamiliar with your field. The key seems to be, don't talk to them as though you are trying to prove how smart you are. Instead, talk to them with a genuine interest in teaching them why such vocabulary is important, and make sure to take the time to teach them what your big words mean.
When it comes to the Christian faith, we also have a lot of big, specialized words. Words like justification, sanctification, and so forth are very descriptive of elements of the faith. And yet, there have been many times when I have cringed when I heard those words being used in a conversation. It's not because I think the words are wrong, but because they seem to be a way of the Christian sounding intelligent. But what really seemed to happen is that the person who was listening went away from the conversation as though the Christian was simply trying to prove that he or she was more intelligent than them, and actually ended up leaving a bad taste in the mouth of that person.
Again, big words have their place. I would argue that their place is NOT to make the Christian seem intelligent, nor are they to be used in a way that boosts up our egos while putting down those who may not know what the words mean.
This brings to mind something that a very wise man once told me. He said that he had a teacher who once gave them the assignment to take the various concepts and big words of the the faith, and to come up with 100 other ways of saying the same thing. That exercise helped him to see that there are many ways to describe our big words without coming across as a know-it-all. It also helped him to see that many parts of the Christian faith may have technical terminology, but can also be described in fairly simple ways.
So, please, be aware of your vocabulary. Yes, it's okay to use the big words, but make sure you are using them to explain them to the person you are talking to, and not to boost up your own ego.
Don't get me wrong. There is a time and place for big words. A lot of occupations and fields of study have specialized vocabulary, and that's completely appropriate. There are even times when you need to use those big words when you are talking to people who may be unfamiliar with your field. The key seems to be, don't talk to them as though you are trying to prove how smart you are. Instead, talk to them with a genuine interest in teaching them why such vocabulary is important, and make sure to take the time to teach them what your big words mean.
When it comes to the Christian faith, we also have a lot of big, specialized words. Words like justification, sanctification, and so forth are very descriptive of elements of the faith. And yet, there have been many times when I have cringed when I heard those words being used in a conversation. It's not because I think the words are wrong, but because they seem to be a way of the Christian sounding intelligent. But what really seemed to happen is that the person who was listening went away from the conversation as though the Christian was simply trying to prove that he or she was more intelligent than them, and actually ended up leaving a bad taste in the mouth of that person.
Again, big words have their place. I would argue that their place is NOT to make the Christian seem intelligent, nor are they to be used in a way that boosts up our egos while putting down those who may not know what the words mean.
This brings to mind something that a very wise man once told me. He said that he had a teacher who once gave them the assignment to take the various concepts and big words of the the faith, and to come up with 100 other ways of saying the same thing. That exercise helped him to see that there are many ways to describe our big words without coming across as a know-it-all. It also helped him to see that many parts of the Christian faith may have technical terminology, but can also be described in fairly simple ways.
So, please, be aware of your vocabulary. Yes, it's okay to use the big words, but make sure you are using them to explain them to the person you are talking to, and not to boost up your own ego.
No comments:
Post a Comment