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Negative Words and Phrases

June is the anniversary of the Watergate break-in, so we revisit a particular statement made by former President Richard Nixon. The famous "I'm not a crook" comment reminds us to stay away from negative words and phrases when making public statements.

What did you really think when President Nixon made that comment? When you use these words, such as "crook" or "guilty," even when making denials such as "not a crook" or "not guilty" you are reinforcing the negative.