The Emphasis of Rarity

The value of something is often inverse to its availability. Sometimes this is called the Scarcity Heuristic which is simplified as the idea that the more difficult it is to acquire something, the more value it has.

Physical objects aside, this is a concept that can be well utilised in conversations and human interactions. Every single word is uttered for the sake of conveying a message of some sort. Tone, pace and volume of each word helps in conveying the message. Rarely do we factor RATE into the equation but it definitely plays a big role.

One of my own principles is to apologise only when necessary. That does not mean I rarely apologise. It means I think twice before apologising. Saying a certain word or phrase too many times will reduce its efficiency and impact. People begin to associate the words and phrases as parts of your personality instead of tools you use to communicate, thus they anticipate you to say them merely because "it's just something you do". This will make your words easily dismiss-able. People will hear you but not listen to you.

Imagine always saying "sorry". You will breed distrust. Asking for forgiveness comes after you've committed a fault of some sort. So if you're often asking for forgiveness, it means you're often at fault for something. You create a perception that you are a person who makes a lot of mistakes. Ask yourself, do you want to associate yourself with someone who is prone to messing up?

The same principle should be applied to almost every word and phrase we speak. If you truly follow this principle, you will find that your conversations will have more silence. Contradictory to what most people think, silence is rarely a bad thing. Life isn't an exam where you must fill every blank space with something. Silence is there to help you think and process. Be comfortable with silence. Make your words rare and people will appreciate them more.

Why else are we so happy to be greeted by famous figures we don't meet often?

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