“There are Tree Pubs in Doolin…”

I was standing near the wall overlooking the cliffs of Moher, in Doolin, Co. Clare, Ireland, when I heard that statement from a group’s tour guide. Tree Pubs? How unique! My mind flashed; I pictured a pub in a huge oak tree like something from Swiss Family Robinson. Then I thought these pubs could have live trees inside. I was fascinated. I wanted to visit a tree pub, have a pint of Guinness, and enjoy a peat fire.

I thought it strange that I had never seen these pubs in Doolin. I decided to listen more closely to the tour guide. “There are tree pubs in Doolin and O’Connors is the most well known”, he continued. O’Connors? I wondered, now confused. I had been to O’Conner’s pub many times. It was not in a tree nor did it have a tree in it.

Then I realized that he was saying three pubs, not tree pubs! He sounded like Barry Fitzgerald from “The Quiet Man”. I laughed at his speech and my mistake. Then I realized one of the simple concepts that I tell people: Words create. One picture may be worth a thousand words, yet a word or phrase can create a hundred pictures in our mind.

Words are powerful and can create powerful mental images. Ever listen to a song and see a story unfold in your mind? Ever listen to those old stories from the radio days? Remember the pictures they created in your mind? Ever hear a word or phrase that just created a picture, thought, or feeling in your mind? The answer is probably yes. It’s natural. Our mind creates from what we hear; sadly, it also fills in the blanks and jumps to conclusions.

When people want to influence us to accept a certain position, they may choose a particular word or phrase to create a thought or feeling in us. Originally, the idea was to put a positive “spin” on some potentially negative aspect of one’s behavior. Today, spinning can be deceptive because it asks us to accept something as fact that may not be true. Spin takes a slightly true statement and makes it seem totally true.

Not sure? Think about this. “He plotted a strategy” verses “He planned a strategy.” What images or feelings come to mind? Whom would you trust? A person who plotted or a person who planned? Subtle, yet significant. These words create different pictures and feelings and then our mind quickly judges that person or situation.

The battle is for our minds and feelings. Who is waging this battle? Advertisers use these techniques and we take their claims with a grain of salt. Beyond commercial influence, the news media creates pictures and images of people and events. When we hear or read their words, do we challenge them or just accept them as true? Do we listen to sound bites and mentally create a whole picture? Do we form our opinions from a just few words or phrases? Do we jump to conclusions based on a few words? (Sometimes I feel like the only exercise I get is jumping to conclusions!)


We need to think first, to be more discerning. We need to examine everything and separate spin from truth. We need to expand the sound bites to get a bigger picture of what’s being said.

So here’s something to do the next time you’re listening to news reports or reading the newspaper,

1. Slow down and suspend your judgment.
2. Examine the thoughts and feelings the words have provoked in you.
3. Scrutinize the words. Are they opinions, innuendo, or facts?
4. If they are facts, find the source of the facts and check them for yourself.

Draw your own conclusions. Know where you stand and what you stand for. Don’t be led (or misled) by the words of others.

From one of the tree pubs in Doolin where I lift a glass of Irish to your health and remind you to think first…

Charlie