Lets
Lets take a look at the idea of embedded commands.
Not in the sense of the often cited Don’t think of a black cat,* but rather in everyday conversation.
If you look back at About this blog, you’ll learn that it is my intention to teach you to become a more powerful conversationalist. Part of this comes from being able to be assertive without appearing dominant and using this to shape and control your interactions. Using the word lets allows you to state an intention while veiling it in an apparent request. This is a powerful technique indeed.
Lets consider why it works.
Lets is a contraction of the phrase let us, which immediately dampens the seeming strength of a command for two reasons – and in doing this the command is more easily accepted and acted upon. Firstly, lets phrases the command in first person plural; the suggestion/assumption is that we will do this together, even when this is logically and explicitly not the case. Secondly, the word let sounds submissive and is almost suggestive of pleading, even when the delivered tone of the command is strong.
The power of lets comes largely from the fact that it phrases suggestions and commands in an affable and polite manner, so that they are indirectly accepted because of the comfortable nature of the conversation. Also, by using lets more regularly in conversation, you are actively applying more decisive action upon the conversation: your eloquence is shown through your ability to control and shape the conversation and make others feel comfortable within it.
Lets see if you are able to come up with your own examples today. **
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* Personally, I always envision the words themselves.
** If you’re really stuck, consider how lets go for a drink sometime sounds so much more confident and assured than would you like to go for a drink with me? Almost any request can be quite easily converted into a more decisive suggestion in this manner.
Thursday Thesaurus 
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