I love words. I love reading words, I love writing words. I like mixing words up, I like listening to words. I like playing with words. I like speaking words out loud or saying them silently. I like word games.

However, there are a couple of words I hear in other people's vocabulary and sometimes in my own, that I do not like.

Now of course there is no law on what words you use unless they are deemed defamatory or swear words but there are a couple of words that I cannot find any positive use in them.

The first one is failure, even the sound of the word is sad. When you are depressed and feeling very low, you may say "I am such a failure" my whole life is a failure, every relationship I have is a failure. It is such a big all-encompassing word how on earth can you make it more manageable, make it less general and more specific. As I am naming words I don't like to use I should try to put something in its place. I of course can't and don't want to tell people what to say. Maybe you could narrow the word down.

Maybe saying I made a few mistakes in my last job, I had trouble keeping up at school, instead of saying I am total failure at life. How can you fail at life, it isn't an exam? At schools here, they don't even use the word fail but you have not met the requirements to pass - ok it may mean the same, but it does not sound as damaging.

So, looking at just one section of your life instead of calling it all a failure.

The other word that is not on my favourite is the word stupid. I am so stupid, you are stupid - what does it mean? What good does come out of calling people that word? If you are called or call yourself stupid it makes you feel you have no skills or talent and makes you feel worse.

I have never met a stupid person; some people have more skills in one area than others, but everyone has things they can do. I feel people are trying to say I made a mistake I did something silly, I want to learn from what I have done.

That narrows down the word and makes it more meaningful.

I will stop at two words that are not my favourites and hand it over to you.

Please choose one or two words that are not your favourite words.

Explain why you have chosen those words (excluding swear words) that you do not like to use, and what words we could use in their place.

Leah

A Moodscope member