Our Brains Think In Images, Not Words.

“Do you brush your teeth?”

We were at the dentist. His tools working in my son’s mouth.

"hesh" my son answers.

"Yes? And do Mom and Dad let you have candy?" The dentist stops cleaning and leans back.

"uh huh."

"What kind of candy do you get to have?"

"the color squares with the 'S' on them."

"Oh, those are my favorite. But you need to eat less of them. Do you know why?"

"why?"

"Sugar bugs."

"sugar bugs?"

"Sugar bugs. They get between our teeth and chew on them. And do you know their favorite candy?”

“no.”

“The sticky kind."

My son’s eyes widen. "I don’t want sugar bugs."

"I don’t want you to have them either. So the best way to get rid of them is to eat less sticky candy and brush them away every morning with your toothbrush."

The dentist and I make eye contact.

I nod.

Our brains think in images, not words.

He stepped out the front door and knew it would rain today.

I don’t have to say anything else and the reader starts filling in the picture.

A sky heavy with gray. A cool breeze rustling the trees. The sweet scent of rain in the air.

This is a remarkable gift of our brain and one of the best ways to clarify your message and make your point memorable.

The dentist could have told my son,

"Avoid sticky candies and brush daily because food lodges between teeth and causes impaction, which leads to tooth decay over time."

It’s technically accurate but easily forgettable.

Honestly, I would have left the appointment equally confused.

Impaction? Decay? These are abstract ideas that the average person doesn’t deal with regularly.

But "sugar bugs"?

That sticks.

When you hear it, you see it.

The tiny legs, the antennas, the quick jittering back into the dark corners of your mouth, the pinchers gnawing at your teeth. The rotting.

My son saw them.

I did too.

We never forget to brush now.

Write on 🤙

Payton

P.S. When people ask me the fastest way to make money as a writer, I give them one word: Copywriting. And when they ask where to start, I give them two: Brandon Storey. He’s my coach. He could be yours, too.