But while knowledge can sometimes be a blessing, it can also be a curse. Because once people know a lot about something, it can be difficult for them to remember what it’s like not to know that much. To imagine what it’s like not having that depth of understanding.

But what we forget is that while it’s easy for us to parse, others may not feel the same way. While we have spent lots of time thinking about something, or know a lot about it, we often fail to account for the fact that others may not be in the same position.

We need to make the abstract concrete. Whether talking to colleagues or clients, students or sales reps, patients or program managers, we need to take abstract ideas and make them real by using concrete language. Helping people understand, and act on, what we’re saying.

Pitches that used more abstract language made investors think the company had more potential for growth and greater ability to scale. Abstract language also boosted the likelihood of investment, increasing the chance startups made it through the initial round of consideration for funding.

Because beyond telling us things about specific people, language also reveals things about society more broadly. The biases and beliefs that shape how we see the world.