Words Matter, Even If We Try To Believe Otherwise
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I always cringe when someone says “I won’t let anything happen to you” - what an awful thing to say to someone. Can you image a life where nothing ever happened? Of course, that's not what they mean. What they are trying to say is that they won't let anything *bad* happen to you. Which may be unrealistic, but at least has good intentions.
But it's still not right; not when you speak or when when you write.
And then there's this one..."I could care less."
Yea, that one, sorry, the eye roll is not optional if you are going to insist on saying that one.
If you could care less, that can only mean that you care. So, saying that when you don't care is wrong. Just flat-out, 100%, wrong. If you don't care, then "I couldn't care less" is the phrase you are looking for.
Think This Doesn't Matter?
Sure, no one says anything about it to you. And maybe "you know what I meant" is true. But you should know that when you make these types of mistakes:
- it distracts from what you are saying
- it may cause misunderstandings
- it damages your credibility
Yes, that's right, I'm saying that people silently judge you for this. Maybe you're OK with that. But maybe you shouldn't be.
Want to do better? Here's a great reference:
