Exaggerate much? “That was the best movie ever… I’m freezing… My whole day is ruined… She’s always rude…” or have you ever slightly exaggerated your achievements during a job interview or on your CV?
It’s so easy to multiply and magnify situations – we’ve all done it. Turning nothing into something! We exaggerate numbers, lengths of time, emotions, degrees of like or dislike and so many other things.
Why is it so tempting to stretch the truth? Is the truth not interesting enough? When you exaggerate does it help to get your message across? Does it make things sound more entertaining? Look below the words – are you trying to show off?
Or does your exaggeration reflect realities you’d like to create – as a way to “fake it ’til you make it”?
Even though exaggeration seems harmless, steer away from over-exaggerating. It just makes things more complicated and difficult in our minds, making things bigger than they are. Is it worth making a mountain out of a molehill, much ado about nothing? Not really!
And more importantly, every time we exaggerate we’re distorting reality. It’s seen as a form of lying! With every lie, we’re most likely to lose the trust of others. Exaggeration weakens our argument.
Even worse, when a situation really matters and does merit attention, people may not be willing to listen to what we have to say or take us seriously!
What are the solutions for the exaggeration temptation? Well, it’s okay to exaggerate to make people laugh or to lighten the atmosphere. Use exaggeration to emphasize and magnify the positive, just don’t over-do it.
Actually, let’s change our vocabulary – replace Exaggerate with Accentuate. Simple! We no longer exaggerate, we accentuate. How does that sound?
Remember, you don’t need to exaggerate at every moment. It’s not needed. Learn to be realistic. Stay focused on the specifics, the facts, and don’t allow emotions to get the better of you. Be honest and trustworthy and you will be respected more!
This blog is part of “The A – Z Challenge”, shifting one negative habit a week into a positive. For more info on the challenge, click here: https://www.innerspace.org.uk/challenges/a-z-challenge.php
