One of the most important ways we communicate is with language. However, if our language is fuzzy, our communications will be too.

If you want to communicate effectively, you'll also want to make your language as effective and clear as it can be. One way to do this is to be very careful about using words we call "universals" or "absolutes" - words like "always," "never," "all" and "every." 

Now, universals are fine, when they're true. If you say, "Everyone must die someday," or "All the people in our family have brown eyes," you're talking about facts. But what about when you see an old person struggling with a walker and you say, "Gosh, it's awful to be old!" Or you read about a Senator who's convicted for fraud and you say, "Politicians are all crooked." In both cases, you've moved from a specific truth to a general untruth. You've generalized from particulars, and in so doing you distort a fact that is true, into an opinion that isn't. 

So the next time you hear a universal term, ask yourself, "Is this a fact or an opinion or a generalization?" In any upcoming elections, listen closely to those running for office, especially when they talk about their opponents or the state of affairs. Are they stating facts or a cleverly worded opinion?

Listen for the words "all," "every," "always," "never," and "none," and let them serve as red flags for you. Ask, "Is this strictly true? Are there exceptions?" If you avoid these universals except when they're really true, you'll dramatically improve your communications.