“Sticks and stones may break my bones but words will never hurt me.” We’ve all said it. We all believed it on some level. But deep down, we all know that it’s just not true. Mostly because we’ve all come up against someone who called us a name, said something angry or mean, or otherwise commented on our life and nearly or totally derailed us. Words really do hurt, and just a simple phrase or single word can end up changing a life entirely. How is it possible that words are so unbelievably powerful?
“Word” simply means a unit of language consisting of one or more spoken sounds, that functions as a principal carrier of meaning. It sounds so simple and unimportant, however it holds the greatest meaning we possess- the ability to communicate. A single word can convey anything from elation to intimidation, from pain to trepidation, and from true love to extreme hate. Though I never heard it done, we could almost compare words with a cancer cell- able to reproduce and destroy in spite of preformed barriers, able to take out healthy, previously established truths, able to infiltrate into every area of our life beyond just the simple place they were meant to stand. Our words truly do have power, not just in their literal meaning, but also in their implications, in their tone, and in whatever it is we meant by them that may or may not have been stated. What ends up mattering is not simply the words themselves, but also whatever happens to be suggested in between the lines.
Science even increasingly shows the power of words to change behavior. For all the power words seem to have, why is it that we spend so little time and energy thinking about the things that are heard, said, or thought in an average day? I created this blog as an attempt to think more about the things that I listen to, the things that I hear regularly but ignore, and mostly the messages that happen to be portrayed in the process. I’ve often heard people say, “It’s just a song, the lyrics don’t mean anything.” Since when do words not matter? Haven’t we all been taken out by a single word? You suck. You’re incredible. Did you notice any difference? My goal is not to simply gloss over the things I hear on the radio and see on the screen, but to understand the words and the meanings that they present that cannot be undone after they have been told. And my ultimate goal is to not be negatively influenced by the things I see and hear because I was unaware of the things that were meant.
I personally am no expert in the use or potential of words, however I have been making an effort to use them in a way that positively rather then negatively affects my life. I may never be able to undo the painful words I have heard in my lifetime, but luckily I can do something to overwrite their effects in my life. Knowing that “One lie has the power to tarnish a thousand truths” (Al David), I try to make sure the things I hear are things that count. What are you listening to, and is it worth the message you hear? It’s incredible how a deep seated lie has incredible power to paralyze people, even years later. “Words! What power they hold. Once they have rooted in your psyche, it is difficult to escape them. Words can shape the future of a child and destroy the existence of an adult. Words are powerful. Be careful how you use them because once you have pronounced them, you cannot remove the scar they leave behind.” (Vashti Quiroz-Vega) It should really come as no surprise that words have such incredible power, but its encouraging to me that that power not just to destroy, but also to create. Luckily that same power that can destroy can also create if you let it. And regardless of what was spoken over someone in the past, the right words can replace all the wrong with time. So what are you listening to? A proof or a fabrication? A test or an idiosyncrasy? A lie or the truth? But more importantly, is it worth it?
