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Anonymous

08/26/19 at 7:12PM UTC (Edited)

Career

How often do you use this four-letter word?

Nope, not the ones we use with an asterisk (e.g., "f*ck - this project will never end"). I recently read an article (https://www.entrepreneur.com/article/233318) that happens to be from 2015, but is still valid today. The word is "just", as in "I just need 10 mins of your time", etc. I didn't stop to consider how this word "diminishes the importance or difficulty or an activity." You can guess how this word doesn't help in negotiations or pitches, either. I've been more vigilant in the past few weeks, and man, do I use "just" a lot. NO more. See how much you use it today, and let us know if there's a difference in your writing.

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Lorelei Yang

648

Wonky consultant with a passion for words

08/26/19 at 10:56PM UTC

I remember reading this a while ago, and try really hard to avoid using "just" in emails... but sometimes, I'm not really sure how best to replace it. What words are you finding the most success in using to replace "just"?

Anonymous

08/26/19 at 11:03PM UTC

Honestly, I haven’t replaced the word. If I said, “I hope”, or “I was simply asking”, it doesn’t strengthen my point. Give it a week - in person, not via email. Could be a totally different experience! Let us know what happens.

Keisha Joy

Hey ya'll!

08/26/19 at 7:54PM UTC

I hate when people say they're "just" something and I let them know. I used to manage a grocery store and my kids were not allowed to say that they were "just" a courtesy clerk. If they did, I made them listen to me go on and on about how helpful they are and how much we appreciate them. Habit broken very quickly.

Laurin Jessica Gagne

Just a nasty woman in NYC

08/26/19 at 6:06PM UTC

I appreciate this post! There's a lot of psychological research on why women use that word (and other lessoning words) in their professional vocabulary and how it can be detrimental to how we're perceived in the workplace!

slipetz123

Compensation leader with regional & global focus

08/27/19 at 12:12PM UTC

A past professor of mine made similar comments around the word "but" -- which negates everything else you said prior to that word. I simply have dropped it from my use, and try to use the word "and" instead. Now i have "just" to work on too ! Thanks for the post.