28%?

Looking at the title, it seems that the percentage sign and the question mark and one other symbol--an exclamation point, dollar sign, ampersand, etc. would imply a cartoon profanity. But it is asking a question and without context things don’t make sense. 

On the Political Gabfest, one of the hosts said that a study showed that in 2005 the average person spoke about 16,600 words a day, but it dropped to 11,500 ten years later. 28% less. Hard to believe we say 5000 fewer words a day, but maybe we do. 

The study has not been replicated post-COVID, but some possible conclusions: COVID separated us, we text instead of call (birthdays for example) everyone is always looking at their phone, we have chronic loneliness, more single person households and more. 

However, the real question is the three questions I use in coaching: What? So what? Now, what? The “what” here is 28%. I don’t have an answer for “so what?” because I can’t Goldilocks it. Is a 28% drop too high? Too low? Just right? Same with the “Now what?” Is there some macro or micro thing we should do to get it closer to the 16K number? Or not? Maybe almost 11,500 is about right. 

The 28% drop is interesting and it does seem like a lot, but as a stand alone number it doesn’t work. We need context in order to create meaning.