As well as experiencing the power of words everyday through the news media and advertising, we also experience the power in novels, poetry and so on. Some of us may have changed our direction in life as the result of words we read or heard. Some of us may have gained greater understanding from someone's words.
Words conveyed most of what we know. Almost all of our knowledge has come to us via words and a great deal of our opinions and even our emotional life, is built up on the basis of words – things we heard in childhood that conditioned us, or things we heard during our education that excited us or broadened our horizons or things said in the schoolyard that hurt us or helped us. Words have been crucial in creating us, in creating our world. The whole world is mediated through words.
Words can move us to action. Words can cause wars or great acts of heroism or amazing self-sacrifice. Words are powerful. Words are moving. Words are expressive and capable of motivating us to great heights and depths. William Wordsworth said: “Words are too awful an instrument for good and evil to be trifled with: they hold above all other external powers a dominion over thoughts.” It is worth reflecting on how words affect us for good or ill and also how our words affect others.
