PERSUASIVE POWER OF WORDS NOT SPOKEN

My persuasive power, if any, comes with words attached.

It comes with observation that hopefully morphs into helpful insights.

Or, when I swing and miss it’s just another load of ‘look at me’ like my blogging brethren.

Let’s take a look together, shall we?

When I write about fear, which I’ve tagged in three hundred and sixty posts, it’s not theoretical, or a situational ‘what if.’

It’s being frightened half to death, maybe a little more.

Not that I’m a scaredy-cat, or chicken-shit, oh no. I’ve done things that take overcoming fear.

So have you if you’re married. (Inside joke for husbands and wives. (*Joking.*)

But really, the persuasive power of words is never stronger when one long-term-relationship partner tries to convince the other one to do something, or go somewhere, they know they don’t want to do or go.

It’ll be fun.

You’ll have a good time.

There’ll be people there you know.

When none of that works, you bargain one thing for another.

“Okay, I’ll go there if you go here later.”

Try and stay off the ultimatum.

Word Power In Practice

I’ve had discussions with two different men that ended up in tears. Their tears, and it was shocking.

The first was a guy at a party. He got aggressive on me. It was probably my fault, but I talked him down instead of giving him aggression in return.

The second time happened years later in a cancer radiation waiting room. Some patient in a gown and bare legs verbally abused a woman who drove her neighbor for treatment.

After she left I took time to explain things, that I was there to kill cancer not listen to half-baked bullshit from some geezer on his death bed.

I told him he’d have a better chance surviving cancer and better life after if he shut the fuck up instead of harassing women doing the angel work of bringing patients to the hospital.

He said he took a cab because he had no friends, then started crying.

I was as surprised that time as I was the first time some tough sounding guy broke down after I talked to them.

Over the years I’ve thought of it as a special persuasive power.

Things changed when I was on the other end.

I had a special conversation where I pledged to be helpful, not hurtful.

My helpful attitude landed me in the ICU over night during Covid.

Did the power of what I didn’t say turn on me?

Did keeping my feelings bottled up inside pop something? Apparently, but it was a self-healing malady.

The Persuasive Power of Man-Talk

Now that I’ve learned my super power isn’t making men cry, I’m a better man.

And being a better man makes for a better blogger, which is the whole point, right?

Right?

Let’s go with that for now.

So, last week I took my dog out for a jaunt to the dog park followed by a hard seltzer stop.

Following personal tradition, I only go one place alone and that’s the nearest tap house to where I live.

I like it best when the regular crew is there. It’s where I try to feel anonymous and unknown, where I can stop without the social norms others follow that seem similar to a family reunion.

My dog and I are just passing through, regularly, like clouds across a blue sky.

This time I felt chatty. Imagine that. Luckily I had a regular to work it out with.

We talked about stuff like CAR T cells.

We talked about Neulasta.

There’s a shortage of platinum cancer drugs? I didn’t know.

Health tip: If someone knows about CAR T cells, Neulasta, and the state of drug production, be a good listener.

They are either a doctor, a patient, a patient support person, or a pharmacy rep.

Most of all, they are sharing a reality, their reality, and their sharing it with you.

Well, with me. But I’m sharing with you and it comes with a kicker.

I was happy spending time with my bar buddy. Did I ask him how he knew so much about cancer treatment?

I was too busy taking notes.

He wanted me to know what he knew, and that was enough.

Thank you. Cheers.