… we and us.
A gentleman that I was sitting next to on a plane recited his favorite poem to me. It went like this:
I and me are words oft used,
By people who are themselves confused,
Why can’t these superegos trust,
The use of words like we and us?
Using the words I and me to draw attention to yourself makes you come across as selfish, self-centered and insecure. This kind of behavior is a turnoff and does not endear people to you. When you use the words we and us to describe what’s going on in your life, you turn people’s heads and draw them to you. Doing so sends the message that you’re comfortable with who you are and that you care about those around you. This is why successful people avoid the use of I and me unless it’s to say something like, “I think you’re great.”
Mike Hessman – October 3, 2010
This is good advice so long as ‘we’ or ‘us’ completed the actual work. In my career, I have at times said ‘we’ or ‘us’ when ‘I’ did the work. I believe in giving credit where credit is due. If someone else did the work then state that they did the work. If you did the work, then kindly state as much while maintaining the courtesy and politeness that people expect. A boss wants the truth not political correctness.