The power of words
I have always loved words…those that uniquely express something all on their own and those that are strung beautifully together. Several times this week I have been struck by the power of words…the power to make us think, feel, act.
Then I thought how better to express the way words affect us than to share some of my favorite words about words.
“Don’t ever diminish the power of words. Words move hearts and hearts move limbs.”
~ Hamza Yusuf
“Sometimes, you read a book and it fills you with this weird evangelical zeal, and you become convinced that the shattered world will never be put back together unless and until all living humans read the book.”
~ John Green
“[Words] can help externalize internal things. The moment we try to turn a thought into words we place it into a shared world. Once we take our personal unseen experiences and make them seen, we help others, and even ourselves, to understand what we are going through. What we say aloud can never quite capture what we feel inside, but that is almost the point. Words don’t capture, they release.”
~ Matt Haig
“Silence is pain. But it is a pain with an exit route. When we can’t speak, we can write. When we can’t write, we can read. When we can’t read, we can listen. Words are seeds. Language is a way back to life.”
~ Matt Haig
“We seldom realize…that our most private thoughts and emotions are not actually our own. For we think in terms of languages and images which we did not invent, but which were given to us by our society.” ~Alan Watts
~ Alan Watts
“There exists, for everyone, a sentence – a series of words – that has the power to destroy you. Another sentence exists, another series of words, that could heal you. If you’re lucky you will get the second, but you can be certain of getting the first.”
~ Philip K. Dick
“Be mindful when it comes to your words. A string of some that don’t mean much to you, may stick with someone else for a lifetime.”
~ Rachel Wolchin
“If we understood the power of our thoughts, we would guard them more closely. If we understood the awesome power of our words, we would prefer silence to almost anything negative. In our thoughts and words, we create our own weaknesses and our own strengths. Our limitations and joys begin in our hearts. We can always replace negative with positive.”
~Betty Eadie
Your turn
- Do you have a favorite word, phrase, or quote?
- What is the last really good book you read?
- What else is on your mind? Anything at all; I just love to hear from you.
Feature image by Gerd Altmann from Pixabay
The last two really resonated with me Christie – our words can build people up or wound deeply. I’m working on being a builder and not someone who chips away at others. I also love how the written word can bring about connections with others – when we read something that really resonates, or when we write something that someone else relates to strongly.
Yes, Leanne, it’s so important that we are mindful of our words and their affect on others. I too love when words are used to build up individuals and to build connections between individuals. I guess that’s why we became bloggers!
Hi Christie, what a great post. Oh yes, the power of words! Not only what we say to others but what we say to ourselves! Love all the words about words you’ve included in this post. Here’s another that I like: “Words have incredible power. They can make people’s hearts soar, or they can make people’s hearts sore.” – Dr. Mardy Grothe. Thanks so much for sharing with us at #WWWhimsy xo
Good point, Min. The words we say to ourselves can be the most important words of all. I love that quote from Dr. Grothe and her use of the homophone: sore and soar. Thanks for sharing that!
Oh, these are powerful words about words! I don’t think I have any favorite profound quotes. I have been guilty of the Rachel Wolchin one. I had a student when I was a special ed teacher that I was joking with. Well, I thought I was joking. He was hurt by my words. Luckily, his mom liked me and told me about the situation. I was able to apologize and try to make things right with him. Words are, indeed, very powerful. And, Phillip K. Dick quote is so very true! Thanks for sharing all of these, Christie!
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Yes, Marsha, it’s easy to wound others with words without ever meaning to. I’m glad that you were made aware of the situation and able to make things right. That’s not always the case. I like that Phillip Dick quote too.
Loved this reminder Christie.
I need to be much kinder and more thoughtful in my words (the negative kind!) as I ‘hear’ inside.
I am doing this quite deliberately now: “thank my mind for that thought, and now I’m trying this”. Read about it as the brain/mind cannot distinguish true from false but it needs to be reassured. Who knew??
Denyse x
Yes, Denyse, the words we use with ourselves are often the harshest of all. I love the idea of thanking your mind for trying to protect you, but purposefully choosing your own path. And it is so true that are thoughts are not necessarily factual.
I do love the power of words. Matt Haig’s quote is wonderful. When I think of a great quote, Dr. Seuss always comes to mind.
Be who you are, and say what you feel,
Because those that mind don’t matter,
And those who matter don’t mind.
I love that Dr. Seuss quote, Jennifer. Thanks for sharing it.
That second last one is so true. I use words for comfort tbh. I collect those little quotes and throw them around like confetti when I can….#WWWhimsy
I love words as comfort, Lydia. You might be interested to know that the Matt Haig quotes I used came from his book called “A Comfort Book.”