Good point, Bill, I think one sometimes uses "you" when one means someone other than themselves, without intending to pin the reader with the crime being mentioned. The English language does not differentiate plural, general "you" from singular, specific "you" (unless you're from the deep south, in which case you have the unique "y'all", which oddly enough I've always heard used as the singular, specific form.)
For instance, I might have written: "I think you sometimes use "you" when you mean someone other than yourself..." :) -----Original Message----- From: u2-users-boun...@listserver.u2ug.org [mailto:u2-users-boun...@listserver.u2ug.org] On Behalf Of Bill Brutzman Sent: Friday, March 18, 2011 5:14 PM To: U2 Users List Subject: Re: [U2] U2UG Elections 2010 - Request For Comment - The I-Beam I learned about the "I-Beam of Interpersonal Communications" at a ToastMasters meeting. The idea is to stop using the word "you" altogether. Easier said than done. The beauty of the I-Beam is that it removes blaming others. Thus... "I wish that Rocket would see that 123 and then did ABC along the lines of XYZ..." "I am in favor of..." "I am not in favor of..." are decent I-Beam constructs. On the other hand... "YOU are a dirty rotten bungling oaf and it is all YOUR fault." This of course not I-Beam. It uses the inflamatory blame word (YOU). The word YOU is toxic. --Bill _______________________________________________ U2-Users mailing list U2-Users@listserver.u2ug.org http://listserver.u2ug.org/mailman/listinfo/u2-users _______________________________________________ U2-Users mailing list U2-Users@listserver.u2ug.org http://listserver.u2ug.org/mailman/listinfo/u2-users
