What do you think of words;are they powerful?

1. 58

   baygirl33posted 11 years ago

   What do you think of words;are they powerful?
   
   I find words so powerful.They make me laugh,cry,think..
   They hide things from my view. They  make me see things I never thought about.

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2. 59

   Pennypinesposted 11 years ago

   Yes and surprisingly when you compare the use of words in various languages it invariably strikes you how expressive some words can be.  For instance translating Japanese into English frequently one has to use a whole sentence to convey the meaning of just one word.

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   1. 67

      Rod Marsdenposted 11 years agoin reply to this

      American code breakers had a devil of a time with Japanese during WW2 because of the many meanings one word, one symbol might convey. If you don't know the context or the coloquial use you can apparently be lost at sea finding the right meaning.

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3. 60

   duffsmomposted 11 years ago

   Yes, words are amazing.  And it is particularly amazing how a word or two can change the entire meaning of a sentence or poem. 
   
   I also feel sorry for people who don't have the same interest in words or their meaning.  They miss so much.

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4. 67

   Rod Marsdenposted 11 years ago

   Yes, words can be powerful. Certain writers can put you in places you have never been to nor are ever likely to journey to, in a physical sense, in your life time. They use words to weave great kingdoms and empires. They remind us of how silly life can be and also how precious.
   
   On rare occasions a writer can say more than he or she can possibly know in their writing and quite possibly in their life time. Lord Alfred Tennyson was, for a fleeting moment that lives on forever, such a writer. In one poem he gave voice to the growing sciences and also the possibility that there is a design to all things that is common to all.
   
      Flower in the crannied wall,
   I pluck you out of the crannies,
   I hold you here, root and all, in my hand,
   Little flower-but if I could understand
   What you are, root and all, all in all,
   I should know what God and man is.

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5. 73

   lburmasterposted 11 years ago

   Words are extremely powerful, but I know them to hurt the most.

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6. 90

   Savio Dawsonposted 11 years ago

   Great question!
   
   Words have power over us too, because we invented language to express ourselves. Let's take an example. If I were to tell you:
   1. You look beautiful as against
   2. You look presentable
   
   Which one do you think will evoke more of an emotional response? If you are like most, you would go for point 1. Why? Because it describes you in a favorable manner. Honestly, though, it is just a word - beautiful. This is true for negative words too...
   
   Over a period of time we have started to attach emotions to words and therefore unknown to us, with the words the emotions are also raised. So, if I were to deal with an unfavorable situation, I make it a point to word the sentence correctly. Even in my mind. So, I will say things like:
   
   1. I am upset with what happened - rather than
   2. I am angry at what happened...
   
   The emotions I attach to 'angry' and 'upset' are very different and hence my reaction to the the situation.
   
   Tony Robbin has spoken about this point at length in the book "Awaken the Giant Within." Do have a read.

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