Day 236: Replace disparaging descriptors with positive actions.

I remember the old adage “There are two sides to every story.” One interpretation of this adage is that every story can be told in more than one way, and this has implications for writing.

Events, facts, ideas, etc. can be told from a positive or negative perspective. Your purpose will determine how you choose to describe them. If your purpose is to produce a positive reaction, or at least to mitigate a negative reaction, replace disparaging descriptors with positive actions. Consider this sentence.

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“The company is losing money.”

The word “losing” has a negative connotation, and “losing money” is a disparaging descriptor of the company. Now let’s replace the disparaging descriptor with positive actions.

“The company expects to meet financial goals in the third quarter.”

We have replaced “losing money” with “meet financial goals.” The overall tone is positive. We changed the interpretation, and we have told the truth. After all, if the company expects to meet goals later, then it is not meeting them now, and this includes losing money.

This is spin. You will need to decide whether or not this is appropriate for your purpose and aligns with your ethics.