Replace “certainly” with “it appears to me” in one disputed opinion.
WhenBefore replying
“I continu'd this method some few years, but gradually left it, retaining only the habit of expressing myself in terms of modest diffidence; never using, when I advanced anything that may possibly be disputed, the words certainly, undoubtedly, or any others that give the air of positiveness to an opinion; but rather say, I conceive or apprehend a thing to be so and so; it appears to me, or I should think it so or so, for such and such reasons; or I imagine it to be so; or it is so, if I am not mistaken.”
Benjamin Franklin, Autobiography, chapter II, in Frank Woodworth Pine ed. (1916); events adult retrospective; retrospective manuscript written 1771–1790. Read the source ↗
Why it works
Franklin retained modest phrasing after abandoning argumentative traps. He thought it made his opinions easier to receive.
Start tiny
Change one certainty word before sending, in 30 seconds.
What you’ll notice
Listen for a reply that adds information.
When it slips
Hedging everything muddies clear facts. Apply this only to a disputable opinion.
Benjamin Franklin, Autobiography, chapter II, in Frank Woodworth Pine ed. (1916); events adult retrospective; retrospective manuscript written 1771–1790. Read the source ↗ Benjamin Franklin, Autobiography, chapter II, in Frank Woodworth Pine ed. (1916); events youth, later modified; retrospective manuscript written 1771–1790. Read the source ↗
Foundation: Small recurring actions with little setup. Choose anchors that fit your day.
