POWER WORDS

Petra Polli, AUSSTELLUNGSANSICHT
Exhibition view unlearning categories, Museion Bozen 2020
Petra Polli, KOSTBAR
KOSTBAR
screen printing and acrylic on canvas
30x40 cm
Petra Polli, OHNE TITEL
OHNE TITEL
screen printing and acrylic on canvas
30x40 cm
Petra Polli,EINFACH
EINFACH
screen printing and acrylic on canvas
30x40 cm
Petra Polli, OHNE TITEL
OHNE TITEL
screen printing and acrylic on canvas
30x40 cm
Petra Polli, INTUITIV
INTUITIV
screen printing and acrylic on canvas
30x40 cm
Petra Polli, OHNE TITEL
OHNE TITEL
screen printing and acrylic on canvas
30x40 cm
Petra Polli, KRAFTVOLL
KRAFTVOLL
screen printing and acrylic on canvas
30x40 cm

If you search for "POWER WORDS" on the internet, you get 137,000,000 results in just 0.30 seconds. But what exactly are POWER WORDS, and who uses them? According to my research, there are words that, when spoken, thought of, or heard, can evoke feelings and reactions. These are known as POWER WORDS. Language psychology has long explored the influence of words on our thinking. Linguists agree that words shape our thoughts, actions, perceptions, and even our memories. Psychologists and neuroscientists are finding more evidence that words significantly mold our thinking and behavior, and that we acquire certain cognitive patterns through our native language that influence our lives.However, we often remain unaware of the impact words have on us, allowing them to manipulate us. A small change in word choice can evoke strong emotions and influence our behavior. A single word can steer our perspective in a new direction and affect our decisions. For instance, pastries taste better when they are described as made from a "grandmother's recipe" or "traditionally crafted." Our perception is thus far from objective; it is guided by terms. But which words most uplift our mood? They are primarily words that stimulate our imagination and evoke empathy. In this vivid language, emotional adjectives are especially used, which are highly effective at eliciting feelings in others.

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