Words

Words

“You think that I don’t even mean
A single word I say…
It’s only words and words are all I have
To take your heart away…” (Bee Gees)

Last night I heard an old song by the Bee Gees called “Words”. I’ve always liked that song and I had not heard it in a long time.  Hearing it again after all these years made me think about how powerful words can be. In our increasingly divided world, it seems so many people intentionally hurt others with hateful words. I’m sure they don’t know – or maybe they do? – just how much power words have.

Words are powerful. Words are more powerful than guns…. more powerful than missiles… more powerful than anything. I don’t doubt that. words are the most powerful things in the universe next to the primordial powers that keep the planets spinning around their suns, the galaxies whirling gracefully around some mysterious universal pole, and not least, us from flying off into space.  But of things human, words are, without doubt, the most powerful things we will ever know.

Words can hurt. Words can heal. Words can end wars. Words can start wars. Words can kill. Words can create friendships. Words can destroy friendships.

Each one of us have words at our command, to use for good, or for bad.

Words have launched many wars in the violent history of mankind. Words have ended most of them. Words have killed millions and affected millions more – and left families devastated, and beautiful landscapes scorched and smoldering.

Words launched our greatest religions. Words have enslaved millions of people. Words justified the outrage of slavery until words finally abolished it over 160 years ago in my country. In other countries, it continues still.

Words can twist our thoughts, incite hate, and justify even the most heinous human activities. Words can make the most pernicious things, acceptable. Words have kept women from voting, minorities from enjoying the benefits of freedom, children from reaching their potential. Words can hurt, words can kill, words can punish — and words can heal as well.

Words can begin friendships; words can set entire civilizations free. Words can soothe a broken heart, words can inspire a child to become the inventor of new medicines that can cure the diseases which to this day still ravage and kill without regard to social status, country of origin, religion, gender, or color of skin. Words can begin marriages that last decades and produce beautiful families – children, grandchildren, and great-grandchildren that happily become the focus of our lives.

Words can make or break a day, a friendship, a town, a city, a state, or a country.

Most of us don’t give a lot of thought to the words we use every day. We go about our business and concern ourselves with minutiae, and silly unimportant things we think matter, but really don’t. We often throw words around carelessly and if we are too careless, we can hurt others.

Just a couple of decades ago, the reach of our words was mostly limited to those around us, but today our words can be transmitted around the world in less than a second and read by dozens, or hundreds, or thousands, or even millions.

It’s so easy in this instant age to hurt others with our words. It’s always been easy to be careless with our words, but technology has enabled us to launch hateful or hurtful words around the world in seconds. And we, somehow, like to believe our relative anonymity shields us from blame and more importantly from being hurt by someone’s words. But the words we speak or the words we write can break a heart or incite hatred.

Words have become more powerful than ever with the evolution of instant communication and the continuing growth of social media platforms.

Even the thunder of missiles and the devastation unleashed by humanity’s most fearsome weapons pale in comparison to the power of words.

Words are the alpha and the omega: words are the beginning and the end. They can bring joy when a beautiful new baby is born and tear a heart apart when they bring news of the unexpected passing of a loved one. Words can light the world and words can turn the world into a dark, burned cinder.

Be careful of the words you use. Choose them carefully and thoughtfully. Touch people with your words but touch them gently. Make someone feel better today. Tell someone you love, how much you love them. Tell your partner, your friends, your children, anyone who is close to you, how important they are to you. Words are more powerful than you know.

Make someone smile today. Ease someone’s pain. Make someone feel good about themselves today. Say “Hi” to a stranger. Be kind with your words.

Yes, they’re only words, but always remember that words are the most powerful things in the world.