English has two forms of voice: active and passive. In “active voice” sentences, the subject of the sentence performs the action designated by the sentence. In “passive voice,” the subject of the sentence receives the action of the verb:
Active Voice: I threw the ball.
Passive Voice: The ball was thrown by me.
The difference between active and passive voice is important because voice has a subtle influence on communication. In the U.S., we currently have the opportunity to observe the psychological implications in voice in the political speech being used as candidates vie for office:
Active Voice: My opponent has lied, cheated, and stolen.
Passive Voice: Mistakes were made.
Active voice sentences emphasize the relationship between the “agent” and the action. It implies responsibility: “I threw the ball.” Passive voice sentences reduce responsibility for the action: “The ball was thrown.” This is an important distinction in critical communication. Note the differences in the following sentences:
Active Voice: I love you.
Passive Voice: You are loved. [By whom?]
Active Voice: Take one of these pills twice a day.
Passive Voice: The pills should be taken twice a day. [By whom?]
Active Voice: You made a mistake. [Ouch!]
Passive Voice: A mistake was made. [We both know who made it.]
Active Voice: Remember the difference between active and passive voice.
Passive Voice: The difference between active and passive voice should be remembered.
When you really want someone to perform an action, follow a direction, or know who is responsible for doing what when, use active voice. When you want to reduce responsibility for an action and avoid an accusatory tone, use passive voice.
Send your questions about how other-than-conscious communication skills can hurt or help your patients and clients to Joel P. Bowman (Joel@SCS-Matters.com) or Debra Basham (Debra@SCS-Matters.com), co-developers of Subtle Communication Systems. We will provide answers to those for you. For more information about Neurolinguistic Programming (NLP), Hypnosis or Hypnotherapy, or about the Imagine Healing Process, visit:http://ImagineHealing.info or http://SurgicalSupport.info.
Healing with Language: Your Key to Effective Mind-Body Communication is available for a limited time for $10 plus $5 shipping within the U.S. For volume orders and overseas shipping, check with Debra.See the Table of Contents and List of Exercises in PDF format for more information about this comprehensive text and training manual.