The most important word in the human language...

When I was in college I was asked what I thought the most important word in the human language was. I was slightly caught off guard  by the question and so I stuttered a little something like "umm thanks...or maybe love...or maybe happiness...is this a trick question?" The guy who asked me told me that the most important word in the human language is a person's name.

I had never thought of that before, but it really is true. People respond so differently to you when you know their names and when you use their names when you are talking to them. Using a person's name changes a  "Hey how was your day" inquiry into something that really matters and that person feels like you really do care.

This theory not only works with adults but it works with little kids too.

There was a first grader who came into the nurses office, who I had seen before, but I couldn't remember his name. As part of record keeping we have to document each students name, their grade and why they came into the nurses office. As I was starting to write down his information I asked him what his name was. He looked up with a hurt look in his eyes and said,

"You don't remember??"

Talk about ripping my heart out.       
                                                 

I have made it my goal to make a particular effort to remember names of the people that I meet and then to use their names when I talk to them. It is hard sometimes, but the reaction to a remembered name is so much better than the horrible feelings that come from the reaction of  a forgotten name.