The most powerful word in the English language
Updated: Jun 22
There are some very powerful words in the English language.
No
Yes
Love
Hate
But none of them are as powerful as the word "and" in my humble opinion. Imagine you have a child. And you say something along the lines of "You're not listening" or "Your gonna fall if you do that". Now imagine them turning to you, looking you dead in the eyes and saying "And?". Just writing that made my stomach feel a bit uneasy.
Or imagine someone is trying to convey something negative to you. They could even be making fun of you. "That business plan sounds risky", "I think you're working out to much", "You're upsetting your aunt by not dropping everything and coming to a family function", "You're content is hurtful/controversial", "You blink a lot, you may have Tourette's".
AND?!
Nothing stops someone in their tracks like a well placed "and".
Third example. Big guy comes up and is getting a little to close to your wife or girlfriend. You wait for him to move but he looks at her and smiles and moves closer. She looks at you creeped out. You say to the guy "Hey man, your just a little to close. Could you step back a little bit please?" Now picture two different answers.
He says "No." Dead nuts. Just the word no and smiles. Yeah, it would be pretty irritating and would lead to an escalation more than likely. But not immediately in most cases.
Now picture him saying "And?". Boom. Instantly changes the dynamic.
"And" is a callout. Its a "Fuck you, I'm gonna do it anyway". Or "So what? What you're saying is dumb/meaningless". It implies so much more than a yes or a no. It commands respect and raises eyebrows. It shows you aren't fucking around.
Want to really tell someone you could care less about their opinion? use the word "And" and watch jaws drop.
Them: "You spent 95$ on a pre workout" You: "and?"
The word "and" serves another function. It's an admittance to whatever someone is saying to you. You are acknowledging what they are saying is true. AND so what? Yeah its true, thanks for stating the obvious, now shut up so I can continue to do it. Admitting something is true AND continuing your course despite it being true. That is a powerful combination for just one word.
Armed with this new found power, how will you use the word "And".
Until next time, live with GRIT
