Distance vs. Intimacy
Whether writers intend it or not (though they almost
always do), the third-person point of view establishes
a certain distance between the writer and the reader.
There’s no direct person-to-person
contact that way
(
me
to
you
). Rather, with the third-person point of
view, someone (or something) else is speaking to the
reader.
The
first-person point of view, on the other hand,
establishes a certain intimacy between the writer and
the reader. The
writer uses
I, my, mine, we, our,
or
us
as
if expressing his or her own personal feelings and ideas
directly to the reader. “
We
congratulate you” makes
message B much more personal than message A, where
the company
congratulates you.
■
First-person point of view establishes intimacy.
The writer wants to be close to the reader.
■
Third-person point of view establishes distance.
The writer wants to distance him- or herself from
the reader.
W h e n W r i t e r s U s e T h i r d P e r s o n
In a
business environment, it’s not always practical to
be personal. Though the first-person point of view
may make the reader feel
close to the writer, the first-
person point of view also implies a certain
subjectivity
.
That is, the writer is expressing
a very personal view
from a very personal perspective.
Subjectivity vs. Objectivity
There’s nothing wrong with expressing personal views,
but
in the business world, writers may not always be at
an advantage using the first-person point of view.
They’re more likely to be taken seriously when they’re
objective,
presenting things from an outsider’s point of
view, than when they’re
subjective,
presenting things
from their own possibly selfish or biased point of view.
■
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