Dr. Tannen is a professor of linguistics at Georgetown University and has written sixteen general audience and scholarly books. Our pervasive use of war metaphors reflects the confrontation and aggression we have institutionalized in our media, legal system, education and politics. Now she s looking much deeper. We ve talked ourselves into it, says Dr. Tannen. By appropriating the vocabulary of war, we re bound to end up with a fight.
Aggressive language begets aggressive attitudes and behavior follows closely behind.
Dr. Tannen believes words are powerful instruments that actually shape our relationships, create the landscape in which we live and interact. Our increasingly argumentative words are extracting a terrible toll. Debilitating cynicism is the result, displacing skepticism and breeding hopelessness. Reclaim compromise and conciliation in our own exchanges. Be more careful in choosing the words we use.