In-neutral / Caution url
Telling someone a secret
- The less said about it the better.
- Don’t breathe a word of it.
- I was sworn to secrecy.
- Mum’s the word.
- This could be something that I might come to regret.
- This might be against my better judgement.
- I have to ask myself, why am I doing this?
Telling someone a secret
Out-positive / Encouragement url
For a fellow worker who is hesitant to present a new idea to the boss
- There’s nothing to be afraid of.
- You have nothing to worry about.
- Don’t sell yourself short.
- What’s holding you back?
- What could go wrong?
- Your fears are your worst enemy.
- I'm sure they're going to appreciate your trying.
- You have nothing to lose, and everything to gain.
- At the very worst, they won't use your idea, but it’s certainly not going to hurt anything.
- What's the downside?
- Grab the brass ring.
- Maybe they’ll take you up on it.
- What’s the worst case scenario?
- Nothing ventured, nothing gained.
- No pain, no gain.
- Speak up and make yourself heard.
- You don’t have to sell yourself to me, screw up your courage and say what you have to say to the powers that be.
- Just remind yourself that speaking up is not a bad choice, mind you.
- Don’t worry, they’ll understand.
- They’re on the up and up, and they’re not going to pull any punches.
- You need to stand up for yourself.
- I think you should jump at the opportunity.
- It never hurts to ask.
For a fellow worker who is hesitant to present a new idea to the boss
In-negative / Doubt url
Being told a ‘foolproof’ way to not tell the truth on taxes
- It’s a prescription for disaster.
- What good would that be?
- How would that help?
- I don’t think that’s such a good idea.
- What’s the point?
- It won’t last for long before it blows up.
- Does that make sense to you?
- I doubt that very much.
- True to form, you’re up to your old tricks.
- I should have expected you to come up with a hare-brained idea like that.
- Do the ends justify the means?
- No, no, that won’t do at all.
- You’ve got another guess coming.
- The idea just smells, because honesty is the best policy.
- I’m going to look the other way, and pretend I didn’t hear that.
- I imagine you would, but don’t expect me to get caught up in your shenanigans.
Being told a ‘foolproof’ way to not tell the truth on taxes
In-positive / Hope url
Before they announce the winner of the lottery
- I think this is it.
- It’s the chance of a lifetime.
- You know anything’s possible!
- We’re banking on it.
- Even if we don’t win, there’s always next year.
- One could only hope.
- This is the moment that we’ve all been waiting for.
- Maybe it will be different this time.
- Keep your fingers crossed.
- We’re hoping there’s a pot of gold on the other side of the rainbow.
- The price is right.
- I hope and pray that the money will now just start rolling in.
- This could be our ticket to freedom.
- Hope springs eternal.
- I have high hopes for it.
- I have a lot riding on it.
- A big change for the better might be just around the corner.
- It would be the answer to my prayers.
Before they announce the winner of the lottery
Out-neutral / Advice url
Trust me
- I won’t steer you wrong.
- Please take my advice.
- I’ll know when the time is right.
- Heed what I am saying.
- Do as I say, not as I do.
- Take a tip from me.
- That’s a solemn promise.
- Now pay attention to what I’m trying to tell you, and I want your undivided attention.
- Mark my words that as sure as I’m standing here, what I’m saying is the honest truth.
- Just stick with me.
Trust me
Out-neutral / Advice url
Opportunity
- It’s a once in a lifetime chance.
- You won’t regret it.
- It’s a golden opportunity.
- Don’t let the opportunity slip through your fingers.
- When opportunity knocks, be ready to open the door.
- Try it, you’ll like it.
- Make the most of it.
- You can’t afford to miss it.
- It’s right up your alley.
- You don’t know what you’re missing.
- It’s a veritable goldmine.
Opportunity
Out-positive / Agreement url
I need you to stop looking at your cell phone while you’re talking to me
- You have my undivided attention.
- I hear you loud and clear.
- You’ve got a good point there.
- That sounds fair to me.
- You have my word.
- I’m slowly coming around to your way of seeing things.
- As you wish.
- I know what you mean.
- I can relate to that.
- I stand corrected.
- I read you loud and clear.
I need you to stop looking at your cell phone while you’re talking to me
In-positive / Relief url
Getting a bonus from work to pay off loans
- We nipped it in the bud.
- It happened just in the nick of time.
- That takes a big load off of my mind.
- Thank goodness for little things.
- It’s just what the doctor ordered.
- We were saved just by the skin on our teeth.
- Things will finally get back to normal.
- When I heard the news, I breathed a sigh of relief.
- Our ship has finally come in.
Getting a bonus from work to pay off loans
In-positive / Remembering url
Meeting a friend from childhood
- Those were the good old days.
- Just for old time’s sake.
- There’s been a lot of water under the bridge since we saw each other last.
- It’s been a long time.
- I feel just like I was a little kid again.
- We go back a long way.
- From time to time I remember the good old days, the way things used to be.
- Our friendship goes back for as long as I can remember.
- I remember you from way back when, and you haven’t changed a bit.
Meeting a friend from childhood
Out-neutral / Advice url
Strategize-1
- What he doesn’t know won’t hurt him.
- Save the best for last.
- What you don’t know can hurt you.
- As long as you’re going to take the time to do it, you might as well do it right.
- Too many cooks spoil the broth.
- People who live in glass houses shouldn’t throw stones.
- The ends don't justify the means.
- Put it to work for you.
- It’s important to just go through proper channels.
- The first step is to take a firm grasp on the situation.
- An elephant never forgets.
- It takes money to make money.
- Money doesn’t grow on trees.
- All is fair in love and war.
- The best way to approach this problem is to use the technique of divide and conquer.
- If you try to please everyone, you end up pleasing no one.
- You can’t focus on everything at once.
Strategize-1
In-negative / Doubt url
A friend tells you he’s taking drugs
- You’re throwing away your life.
- Don’t you have a mind of your own?
- Please tell me it’s not true.
- You just brought it all on yourself.
- Stop feeling sorry for yourself.
- Do you know what you’re doing?
- That’s what I call plain old stupidity.
- You must be crazy.
- Don’t say I didn’t warn you.
- I don’t seem to be able to get through to you.
- What are you trying to prove?
- You should have your head examined.
- You knew what you where getting yourself into.
- What are you trying to say?
- Was this your idea?
- It’s your own doing.
- Just look at you.
- Do as you wish, but don’t come crying to me for help when things go downhill.
- It’s the same thing over and over again.
- I don’t think anything I say will convince you one way or another.
- You don’t have anyone to blame but yourself.
- That’s the whole point, and I don’t think you’re hearing a word I’m saying.
- It seems as if what I’m saying is going in one ear and out the other.
- When I talk to you I don’t feel like there’s anybody home.
- What have you gotten yourself into?
A friend tells you he’s taking drugs
In-negative / Confusion url
In the middle of riot
- What the hell is going on around here?
- I just don’t get it.
- It’s a free for all.
- What’s it all about?
- I just don’t know what to make of it.
- Things are happening fast and furious.
- We better high tail it out of here.
- I’ve never seen anything like this.
- What in the world is going on?
In the middle of riot