I first heard something like "May I have a word?" in British shows, I think. That utterance clearly meant to convey about the same thing as "I would like a private word" and "Could we talk some place in private?" When a person in authority says that to me, I might prepare to hear bad news or a negative comment about my behavior or next year's budget. I am intrigued to think how many different sorts of change may be produced by a quick comment.
The famous Solomon Asch experiments had several people each say aloud which of several lines is shortest. All of them are part of the experimental setup except one who is a genuine subject. There was a tendency for the subject to agree with the others, despite the fact that the others were calling out the wrong answer. I always wanted to try to have a word with the experimental subject just before the experiment. I thought if I whispered something like "Don't fall for it", this supposedly deep-seated human tendency to conform would be overridden.
Whether it is the single word "Duck!" or a command like "Don't drink that potion!", a single utterance can drastically change a person's behavior. When I was growing up, no one told me to pay no attention except my mother. When she told me to pay no attention to someone or something, I think I did a pretty good job immediately at having the person or event cease to exist. If you had watched a tape, you would have been able to deduce I was consciously avoiding attending but I practiced giving no clear sign of studiously avoiding paying attention.
A single utterance (Want to have dinner together? Will you lend me $10 Don't look now.) can very powerfully change a situation and fast. I realize birds can all fly off in a moment and deer can be warned with a snort so we are not alone. But I bet we are the champs at using a single word to change things.
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Bill
Main blog: Fear, Fun and Filoz
Main web site: Kirbyvariety
