I think encouragement goes beyond just verbal affirmations. Empathy has to be included in the encouragement. When you want to truly encourage someone to change their ways, you try to help them get the right information and get into the right mindset. Affirmations never last long, and they are often said at the spur of the moment and may be meaningless.

I see encouragement not as someone who is on the side cheering you on, but running a marathon with you and whenever you get too tired, they push you or carry you a bit on their back, or something not as drastic and detrimental to their spine.