Me, Myself, and Authenticity - The Atlantic - 0 views
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But some linguists and music historians say the reality is more nuanced. For one thing, frequent use of "I" doesn't signal a haughtier sense of one's status but the opposite, according to James Pennebaker, the social psychologist who invented the text-analysis program used in the 2011 study of song lyrics. The higher a person's standing, the less frequently that person uses 'I' words, according to Pennebaker in his book, The Secret Life of Pronouns: What Our Words Say About Us.
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People who tell the truth use the word 'I' more.
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No, "we" isn't necessarily such a communal word after all. It often comes off as presumptive and exclusionary, and can be seen as one group speaking—out of turn—for others.
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Even in science writing, where personal pronouns were once forbidden, some journals are now open to informal, active language—though "we" has gained acceptance more quickly than "I."
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But if someone is saying something that happened to them and it resonates with your own experience, then you don't call it narcissistic. You call it poetry.
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No, "we" isn't necessarily such a communal word after all. It often comes off as presumptive and exclusionary, and can be seen as one group speaking-out of turn-for others.
