Why Big Words Kill Big Ideas

Winston Churchill proved that one person with one speech can move an entire nation.

But it wasn’t his vocabulary that did it.

It was his clarity.

Churchill used simple, everyday words to explain extraordinary ideas. He didn’t speak to impress - he spoke to be understood.

Because people don’t rally around big words.

They rally around big feelings, told simply.

The more people understand you, the more they trust you. And trust is what moves them to act.

If your goal is to sound smart, long words might do the trick. But if your goal is to make people care, short words win every time.

“Implement” sounds official.

“Carry out” sounds human.

“Remuneration” sounds distant.

“Reward” feels real.

“Inception to termination” sounds cold.

“Start to finish” feels clear.

The difference isn’t in meaning, it’s in connection.

Great communicators don’t write more. They write less and make every word count.

They cut anything that doesn’t serve the message.

They trade complexity for clarity.

And they focus on being instantly understandable to the greatest number of people.

Churchill didn’t need a wall of words to defeat an enemy.

He needed a few that struck the heart.

If you want to move people, speak to them in words they already know.

Big words might make you sound important, but short words make you unforgettable.

Read the next chapter here.