Rigor? Vigor?

Do You See a Duck or a Rabbit?

People bring confirmation bias to experiences, and language is no exception. Keep this in mind when shaping your messaging. Much of our work with schools has to do with meeting families where they are, not educating them on the topics we think deeply about behind closed doors. Once they’re interested in you, you will have the chance to share that insight and your unique POV. Until you’ve started a conversation they can relate to, your definitions may be falling flat. It’s important to understand this illusion because “the Gestalt switch is hard to control—often one will see a figure one way or another even if one is trying to see it the other way.” (Donaldson, J. (July 2016), “The Duck-Rabbit Ambiguous Figure” in F. Macpherson (ed.), The Illusions Index. Retrieved from https://www.illusionsindex.org/i/duck-rabbit.)

This same principle applies when schools try to redefine familiar terms like ‘rigor.’

OK, the majority of schools I’ve worked with don’t love the word “rigor.” They prefer to think of themselves in terms of “vigor.”

I get it.

To educators who don’t like the word, “rigor” sounds like rigor mortis—rigid, inflexible, joyless. “Vigor,” on the other hand, evokes energy and life. It feels like rigor with balance. Challenge without burnout.

It’s a lovely distinction.

But here’s the problem: most families in most markets do not know the difference.

They don’t think like that. They’re not parsing the subtle philosophical difference between rigor and vigor. They want to know if their child will be challenged. Full stop. Some prefer the challenge they seek comes without competition. Some learners thrive in a competitive environment. In any case, challenge is challenge. 

The Schools That Don’t Shy Away from “Rigor”

Schools that lean into the word “rigor” know their market values academic challenge, and they speak that language confidently.

Schools that feel underestimated, that don’t get credit for the excellent education they provide, also turn to ‘vigor,’ hoping it differentiates them. But I haven’t seen it work yet.

Here’s the Distinction That Matters

• Mission is when you use language that feels most authentic to you and your community.
• Brand is when you speak to the people you want to reach in ways that encourage connection.

Branding does not mean redefining words for your audience. It means addressing what they care about most from your unique point of view.

So yes—use the language internally that works for you and your team. Have those rich conversations about what rigor means, what vigor means, what balance looks like at your school.

Then translate that to the families who care most about their own child and what your school brings to them that they can’t get anywhere else.

People Bring Their Own Associations to Language

What matters most to us internally doesn’t matter most to them. And they are the ones we want to be interested in us.

So instead of trying to get families to adopt your vocabulary, listen to theirs. Understand what they mean when they say they want “rigor” or “challenge” or “balance.” Then show them—in language they already use and trust—how you deliver it.

That’s brand strategy.

The bottom line? Stop redefining. Start translating. “Different people hear differently. What you say is not nearly as important as what we hear.” – Seth Godin