What Do We Call Suggestion?

Suggestions are words that create images in a person’s mind. They are incredibly diverse and can be direct or indirect, explicit or veiled, intentional or spontaneous. Suggestions can be beneficial or harmful, both to ourselves and to others.

We encounter suggestions everywhere. Each of us gives suggestions from morning until night. Every day, a person hears hundreds of different suggestions from family, colleagues, and even the television.

Positive and Negative Suggestions

Sometimes we hear or read positive, encouraging, and supportive suggestions. These give us strength, inspire us, boost our confidence, and work for our benefit, such as:

• “You’re doing great!”
• “You can do it!”
• “You’ll handle this easily!”

At the same time, we are attacked by negative suggestions every day. And often, when people say these things, they don’t mean any harm. Many times, people suggest undesirable behaviors simply out of ignorance.

For example, a son is going to school, and his mother says, “Listen, don’t run in the hallway, don’t fight with Petya, and don’t misbehave in class.” It seems like the mother said everything correctly.

However, there is a peculiarity in how people perceive information: the word “not” is often ignored when forming a mental image. So, a well-intentioned message can turn into a negative suggestion.

Consider: “Just don’t worry, don’t stress, I’m about to tell you something important.” What is the result?

Every time we use a negative like “don’t” with a verb, it’s important to ask ourselves: what am I really suggesting?

Everyday Examples of Suggestion

A little boy is running around the playground, and his grandmother shouts, “Watch your step, or you’ll fall!” And sure enough, he falls.

• “Hold the cup tightly, or you’ll drop it!”
• “Use both handles, or you’ll spill it!”
• “Don’t rush, or you’ll burn yourself!”

Suggestions are powerful. It’s important to know how to use them correctly. Negative suggestions program us for the opposite of what we want. For example, a manager who communicates with employees using negative suggestions programs them for failure, and then worries about it, saying, “Why are my employees so incompetent?”

Be Mindful of What You Suggest

So, next time you interact with others, pay attention to what you are suggesting!