Comments on: Inclusive Language: I, We, and You

By: Joanna

Joanna — Mon, 31 Aug 2009 09:35:27 +0000

Hi, yes you’re right, it does depend on the context – I think perhaps in public life too. There are times for a call to the common endeavour, and other times when a leader needs to talk about their own personal quest, and making it clear where personal accountability lies. Too much ‘we’ and we can become suspicious of what they’re up to…

By: Indian Book Publisher

Indian Book Publisher — Mon, 31 Aug 2009 07:24:03 +0000

Thats quite an enlightening article. In public life, the inclusive language pays rich dividends, as evident from the success of several great leaders. When you allow people to take part of any great endeavor, they are more than ready to face its consequences. Without that inclusion, there is nobody to share the success or failure. In private life, I think, that depends on the situation.

By: Joanna

Joanna — Wed, 29 Jul 2009 19:06:13 +0000

Paulo hello, and thanks for your question. Yes, I read it

You’re right, I didn’t spend much time on what happens when you’re writing on behalf of a group of people, so the “we” refers to that group and “you” refers to the reader(s). I would think that would make it a little simpler, because you are genuinely reflecting those different people, and being clear about what’s different between you and and your readership.

I’m afraid I can’t easily answer your last question without knowing a bit more of the context. If it’s you writing as an individual I’d probably say go mainly for “I”. You can easily mix them up but the trick is to be clear about which you’re using and why. Also to be aware of the different impact you create.

I hope that helps

By: Paolo

Paolo — Tue, 28 Jul 2009 03:32:00 +0000

Hi Joanna,
1. Thanks for your nice analysis. The last post is quite old, so
I wonder if anybody will read this… Hopefully yes

2. I might have missed something, but I would have expected
a distinction between the 2 different meanings of ‘we’:
– the inclusive one, when I am talking for all of us (reader and myself
included) – this is the case that you have analyzed
– there is a second situation, when I representing us am using ‘we’
to talk to you (the readers). So my ‘we’ does not include the reader.

3. I am writing a tech book, which seems to be quite a challenge
for non native English speaker as me. Actually I was trying to find
an answer to the following question:
“What is the most polite (or appropriate) way of referring to
ourselves ( I or we ) when writing non fiction but also not exactly
academic text ?” (Taking for granted that it should be avoided
whenever possible).
To explain better: Many years ago I was working in a sales company
(as tech guy) where we were often and explicitly instructed by our
boss to avoid using ‘I’, especially when talking with clients.
The idea behind was that “we are a team” and it is more polite to say
“we managed this or we achieved that” instead of somehow selfish
“I did”. I got used to this sort of “more modest”, but now I am
in strong doubt, in context of writing a book.
Consider this:
“I recommend … ” or “We recommend (to you – reader) … ”
I am tempted to mix the two (i. e. to used them both), which
in turn may be the worst choice…
CAN YOU HELP PLEASE ? Thanks in advance

By: We, You, And I » client k

We, You, And I » client k — Mon, 04 May 2009 10:01:34 +0000

[...] more insight, see this post at Confident [...]

By: Joanna

Joanna — Sat, 18 Apr 2009 07:37:34 +0000

Karen I'd agree with you, that all three have a role in blogging. I think blogging at its best is a bit like a dance - you want the blogger to take a strong lead (with I being fully present) but also that they listen, watch, notice, and engage with their readers (you)... so there are times when the dance becomes we...

By: Karen Chaffee

Karen Chaffee — Thu, 16 Apr 2009 21:59:07 +0000

I loved Muguel’s comment: it incorporated we, I, and you.

I think blogging is like that. All three terms have their place depending on the subject material. I doubt that just one would be appropriate to use all of the time. There is a fine balance between being inclusive as opposed to patronizing.

By: Joanna

Joanna — Sun, 12 Apr 2009 08:22:12 +0000

Hi Ami, those are three great examples, thank you. I recognise a lot of what I (try to) do in your approach – it’s useful to see it articulated in this way

Best wishes

By: Ami

Ami — Fri, 10 Apr 2009 21:25:10 +0000

Hi, Joanna. This is a great post. I often find myself using "we" when I'm writing to people who I feel I have something (or want to have something) in common with (e.g. "If we write from our hearts, we'll always write powerfully."). I save "you" for times when I want to be a bit more authoritarian or am trying to teach or instruct ("Pay close attention to your surroundings and you'll find plenty of inspiration for your writing."). When I'm telling a story about myself, or want others to understand my own vulnerability, I use "I" (e.g. "There are days when the last thing I want to do is pull out my laptop and start writing."). Of course, there are exceptions to all of these examples, but I think in general this is how I use "I", "you" and "we" in my writing. Amis last blog post..7 Places to Find New Story Ideas

By: wilson

wilson — Wed, 01 Apr 2009 09:15:02 +0000

What a detailed and straightforward description about "I, You and We" here, Joanna. To be honest, I'm the sort of person that love to mix all these three words in every article! I was wondering, maybe it makes my articles becoming even more boring than you did, Joanna? wilsons last blog post..You Should Stop to Breastfeed Your Baby On the Right Time!