the.com/encouragement

Giving someone courage you're not sure they have, loudly enough that they believe you.

means Words or support given to inspire confidence or hope in someone attempting something hard.

from Traces back through French encouragier to the Latin cor, 'heart.' To encourage is literally to put heart into someone — the same root that gives us 'courage' and 'cordial.' The opposite, discourage, drains the heart right back out.

root meaning
from Latin cor, meaning heart
placebo effect
works even when both people know it's hollow
cheapest version
just not mentioning the obvious flaws
best delivered
before the attempt, not after the failure
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