Speak with Purpose: Breaking the Habit of Filler Words
Growing up, I was the type of person who followed trends. I always wanted to fit in, to show that I could do what everyone else was doing. That attitude influenced many areas of my life, including the way I spoke. I was constantly trying to sound "woke" or trendy. Then came a time when I started using words like "basically." It sounded nice, so I found myself using it in almost every sentence. I also developed the habit of saying, "I was like..." and "She was like..." For example, instead of saying, I told her to go home, and she said no, I would say, I was like, "Go home," and she was like, "No." At first, it didn't seem like a big deal. After all, everyone around me spoke that way. But over time, I realized these were filler words —words or phrases we throw into conversations out of habit rather than necessity. They add little or no value to what we are trying to communicate. Why Do We Use Filler Words? Sometimes ...