The Value of Words.



How much dough do your words weigh? You've probably heard of the phrases "a penny for your thoughts" and "my two cents worth". You may have even used them yourself, but do you know what they really mean.



These days, two cents will buy you almost nothing, so two cents means something of little value. During a discussion, those with an opinion on the topic may offer their "two cents worth", that is, their humble contribution to the debate. This phrase is overused nowadays, and is often false humility. If what the person brings up is a good point, it makes him look humble, but if he slips up, he would have warned the others, that it was just his "two cents worth"!



"My two cents worth" actually evolved from the phrase "put my two cents in" which originates from the older "put my two bits in". "put my two bits in" has its origin in the game of poker. When playing poker you have to make a small bet, ante, before the cards are dealt to begin play in that hand. The phrase "my two cents worth" draws an analogy to poker ante (two bits or 25 cents, which was alot back then). Thus putting two cents in gains your entry into the conversation.



Unfortunately, the origin of the phrase "a penny for your thoughts" is a little more obscure. The earliest known citation of the phrase is in a book titled, "A dialogue conteinying the nomber in effect of all the proverbes in the Englishe tongue", by John Heywood in 1546. You might be able to find a latter reprint called "The Proverbs of John Heywood". However, do note that the proverbs in the book are not coined by John Heywood. John Heywood was just cataloging the ones he had heard.



These phrases are often used in written form in sg, and hardly heard of in verbal form. But if you're dishing out dough for thoughts, you'll go broke quickly even if it costs only one penny per session. So instead of paying a penny for thoughts, you pay for them with attention. Please do note that the valuation of these trades do not include sessions with professional consultants :p



"A penny for your thoughts" and "My two cents worth" do generate alot of interest from various communities. The main question usually is, "If i gave you a penny for your thoughts and you gave me your two cents worth, where did the other penny go?". There are many good and creative answers, but know that the other penny was definitely not gobbled up by the exchange rate. 100 pennies make a pound, and a cent is 0.01 of any of certain money standards. Therefore a penny is a cent and a cent can be a penny.



So where did the other penny go? Rather than questioning the missing penny, we should concentrate on the other parts of the phrases "a penny for your thoughts" and "my two cents worth". If everyone is valuing their thoughts at two cents, why then is everybody paying only a penny? It is here that we must now draw a line between thoughts and opinions. Thoughts are worth atleast a penny, opinions have no value.



Thoughts involve analysing the matter at hand. Giving the matter at hand some thoughts means you think about and analyse it based on facts and evidence. Opinions are biased, and do not require facts or evidence. Thoughts generates perspectives. A perspective can generate more thoughts, and thus more perspectives. Therefore you can have many thoughts and perspectives for the matter at hand. From a perspective, an opinion is formed. Once an opinion is formed, the perspective is maintained and the opinion is claimed as yours. Encountering different perspectives do not neccessarily change your opinion.



Valuing opinions at two cents and others' thoughts at a penny would then be correct, because opinions are self-biased. Valuing opinions high doesn't mean opinions are valuable. Because opinions have no thoughts, opinions are not valuable. However, one must beware of opinions even if it has no value. Opinions have been known to break the strongest bond of friendships and marriages. Opinions can cost people their careers and even life.



People often say "That's just my opinion" when they really mean "Those are just some of my thoughts". When you present your thoughts, you're putting it up for critique and evaluation, hoping to generate a thoughtful discussion. When you present your opinion, you're imposing it onto the other person. However, it is very common for people to feel very strongly about their own opinions and the need to express it when there's a conflicting opinion.



So if your boss asks you "What is your opinion on this matter?" over a golf game. I have no idea what golf has to do with businesses. But my friends says golf is becoming cheaper, um... golfing at the driving range that is. But i've always thought that the driving range is just a practice kind of thing, where you practice your driving... hmm.. doesn't sound rite.. where you practice your putting... doesn't sound rite either... oh heck, i don't know much about golf anyway, or what's a tee, or what's a fore. But i guess if you're driving on the range and someone shouts "Tee fore drivers" you get a drink or something like that :D



As i was saying, if your boss asks you "What is your opinion on this matter?" over a golf game, don't sweat too much on it. Coz opinions have no value, your boss ain't going to give a hoot to what you say, since he probably has his own opinion. He is asking for a conversation, not a meeting. If instead he asks "What are your thoughts on this matter?" Then you better give your best, coz in this case, your thoughts are worth more than a penny. Unless your salary is only a penny, then you might consider giving your job some thoughts rather than giving him any thoughts :)



These are just a penny of my thoughts (or opinion if it is your opinion that this is an opinion :p ). Till then, always ask yourself this, "How much dough do your words weigh?"