don't take words at face value

Words. They can teach you, and they can trick you. They can move you, and they can manipulate you.

If you're a writer, you are probably adept at doing all of the above. If not, you can learn these techniques. Few people are "born writers". The majority of us have to develop those skills. Listening to what people say, reading books, watching Netflix can all help with this. (Now you can pretend you're doing "deep research on writing craft" when you're binge-watching a new series on Netflix).

When you're reading a book, take note of how the author achieves their goal of taking you with them on the journey. See what works and what doesn't. Same with movies, newspapers, TV shows, advertisements, political speeches, arguments in the pub, everything. Are you being led step by step with multiple snippets of information like breadcrumbs so minor that you're less likely to question them? Are you feeling emotional (angry, sad, whatever), and why is  that - what strings are being pulled and what buttons are being pushed for you? What is the credibility of the information? Are you being manipulated? Are you being lulled for a while, only to be hit with something so unexpected that it catches you by surprise?

Question everything. Pull it all apart, analyse it all, figure out how it's working and what it's trying to do to the reader, the listener, the viewer. Work out the techniques and how they made you feel and react. You can apply that to whatever you write, whether it's fiction or a column in the local newspaper or your next Etsy listing.

It's not just what is said that's important. It's the subtext, the subtle suggestions underneath that aren't clearly expressed, the hints, the "reading between the lines" that imparts the sense that there's more to know, there's some unvoiced truth that's just beyond your grasp. That's working on your subconscious, even if your conscious mind doesn't get it yet. The subtle message is doing its work. Are you aware of it?

And I haven't mentioned what is being left out. What isn't being said in the political speech or TV ad, what information is the newspaper missing, what is the hidden link that will lead the TV show detective to the killer instead of to the obvious but wrong suspect. Maybe you don't know what's being left out. But you can consider whether something might be missing, whether you're getting all the information in the story, the news report, the TV ad, and so on.

Highly skilled orators can make people do almost anything. Entire empires were affected by the public speeches of the most famous Roman orators and statesmen. As a writer, words are your tool. They're powerful. Lead your readers the way you want them to go. Make them laugh. Make them cry. Make them want to turn the page.

Simple techniques can grab the reader or the listener. Here's one - notice what's common in the snippets below (all are famous). Plus, I did it above to demonstrate.
Friends, Romans, countrymen.
The Father, the Son, and the Holy Ghost.
Faster, higher, stronger.
I came, I saw, I conquered.
The truth, the whole truth, and nothing but the truth.
Government of the people, by the people, for the people.
Snap, crackle, pop.

Don't forget context. It's everything. You can totally mislead people without context if you want to. In fiction, you might want to do that. Have someone think they're being cheated on because of a confusing phone call. Have the detective come to the wrong conclusion because they're missing a vital piece of the puzzle. Sometimes, you'll let the reader know, but the not the main character, so you can have the reader scream in their heads, "No! Don't leave! She's not cheating on you!" or "You're arresting the wrong guy!" and they have to read on to make sure it all works out in the end.

Without context, if I tell you that I once gave speed to a kid in the playground at primary school, what do you think? That I'm a drug dealer? No, I'm not. I'm a conscientious parent. The full context is that one day my young son forgot to take his prescribed ADHD medication (amphetamines), and I had to rush to school with the pills so he could have them.

Here's another example of how you can be easily influenced as a reader. Note these two brief book blurbs:
Book 1: A weather event causes a young girl and her dog to travel to a mysterious world inhabited by fantastical characters.
Book 2: A young girl goes on a journey, kills the first person she comes across, then teams up with three strangers to kill again.
Which book do you prefer? Doesn't matter. They're the same book, The Wizard of Oz. It's just a different angle on the same story.

You've surely heard the expression "The pen is mightier than the sword." In medieval times, you may have been able to influence a few people with your two-handed broadsword. Today, by typing mere words on your keyboard, you can influence the entire world. As a writer, your books can do that. Give it a try.