Communication
"Little" words that enable people to move beyond their own perspective to imagine how someone else would think or feel.

My friend and longtime client, Sally Mixsell, shared this article with me this week. It is profound in its simplicity. Key takeaways:

"The capacity to shift away from one's own perspective is embedded in the structure of natural language and flexibly deployed at an early age. Children are not fundamentally egocentric.
"Everyday pronoun shifts convey implicit messages with the potential to foster virtuous character traits.
"The experiences that are common across individuals are judged to be the most meaningful and resonant. Highlighting commonalities is especially effective in teaching children rules and norms." - Susan Gelman

Article: How Saying “Me” or “We” Changes Your Psychological Response — and the Response of Other People