Kasper Kylmälä visited Wonderland Vallila’s Waffle Wednesday event to give a talk on the power and meaning of words. Kasper is a public speaking coach with a diverse background. An engineer, entrepreneur, and former parliamentary assistant. Passionate about rhetoric and politics, he knows how words shape the way we think, lead, and connect.
Why do we talk?
That’s the simple yet powerful question Kasper opened his talk on communication.
Sure, we talk to connect, share ideas, or have fun, but Kasper offered a deeper view: talking is influencing.
We’re all influencers. Not just online, but in how we use words to shape thoughts, emotions, and actions. Words can make someone laugh, feel understood, or even change their mind. Just like a commercial, our conversations can trigger emotions or drive action. With words alone, we influence feelings, behavior, and perspective.
We use words to control minds.
When people truly listen and pay attention, we gain the power to plant ideas in their minds. That’s what makes news, advertising, and propaganda so powerful, they shape thought by controlling attention.
But why do we care about certain things in the first place? What makes something matter?
It all comes down to emotion.
Facts alone don’t make us care, emotions do. Any strong feeling, positive or negative, grabs our attention. The stronger the emotion, the more we remember. Over time, these emotional reactions help shape our values. Even discomfort can spark curiosity, especially when it comes from someone we trust.
Facts and truth are important, but it’s emotion that makes them meaningful.
HOW do we get emotional response?
If you want to cause emotion, you have to do or say something. Emotions come from action and expression.
Want to cause hate? Threaten.
Want to bring joy? Hug someone or say something kind.
If something triggers an emotional reaction, it becomes important to the person experiencing it.
Here are a few ways to spark emotion:
- use important stuff
- say emotional stuff
- express emotions
Emotions spread like wildfire. Sometimes, just seeing someone’s face can give you a glimpse into how they feel. And that feeling can transfer to you too.
How to create a better atmosphere or improve your social life?
Express how you feel, especially the good stuff.
Let your positive feelings show. It can shift the energy around you and improve both your relationships and your own mood.
Say it when you feel good about someone.
Saying something kind can be the best moment of someone’s day. You have nothing to lose and everything to gain by spreading positivity.
Through small actions like these, you can become someone who is remembered for making others feel good and a person who leaves a positive emotional mark.
What makes a leader?
Leaders work with people, not numbers. A real leader inspires, motivates, and brings out the best in others. According to Kasper, the core of leadership is creating safety. If you can make people feel secure, even in difficult situations they’ll want to follow you.
If people trust and follow you through challenges, you are a leader.
A great example of this is parenthood. A parent’s most important role is to make their child feel safe every day. When a child feels emotionally safe and supported, they’re better prepared to face the world.
In the end, Kasper challenged us to do these two things:
- Say all the good things. Don’t hold back kindness, express it.
- Mark your words. Make sure your words carry the emotions and impact you truly want to share.
Watch the whole talk here.
Find Kasper Kylmälä´s web page here.
