The difference between affirming a truth and wishing something were true
"Affirm" is such a strong word. Just say it out loud and you realize it lands with weight. Affirm sounds like something you can trust. "Wish," on the other hand, is a bit wispy, a bit flimsy. You don't expect wishes to become real, but you should expect that what you affirm is already real, already true. Merriam Webster defines affirm as meaning to validate or confirm. It's a solid word. You have to turn the word into a noun (verbs lose their oomph when you turn them into nouns) to find the Oxford English Dictionary defining affirmation as "emotional support or encouragement." In the self-development world, of course, affirmations are something that you repeat in the belief that saying something will make it true. This is a sort of combination of saying something solid and saying something encouraging. © Can Stock Photo / Ostill If you want affirmations to work, either in encouraging yourself or in supporting others, you have to val...