Power of the Tongue

“It always pays to be suspicious of words and to be wary of them”

Something always lies between a person’s words. Consciously or not, a person affects others by what he speaks of. Normally, a person would quote something he made up in his head, or have gained from what he has already learned, and that alone creates conflict. Everyone is unique in practically all ways, let alone way of thinking. Ideas of one person either clash or bond with another’s. Mere words form an invisible field around a certain group of people and in most cases that initiates something to take place.
Vaclav Havel’s speech, “A Word About Words,” interestingly tackles how words may come about in order to settle the course of history. It is true that a lot of people try to make the world a better place—the fact is, the general public desires such thing—it’s just that certain people have entirely different theories on how to make such take place. Although, one must admit that such disparate ways still meet at certain points one way or another. After all, it’s still he same goal, may it be for personal or public gain.
The miracle of language, as any department of science would testify to, started from the desire to communicate. If it were true that man evolved without the patterns of speech, the first words were probably business-related. After all, every other human concern can be and is better expressed by gesture and therefore didn’t need words. From there on, language evolved and is still developing today. Language aided philosophy and now we have the art of Mathematics and Science. It contributed most of course to Literature which is dependent on words rather than numbers and symbols. Of course, in spite of all this knowledge language has aided us in having access to, we have to admit that there is a whole lot more yet unknown to man. The use of words is man’s response to such—prayer, recitation, speech, incantations, expression of desires, thoughts, and inquiry, all these uttered and written with varieties of language.
Words are particularly powerful in its way. Have you ever noticed how certain sentences discreetly grouped together make a man go mad? I mean, there are songs and texts that make a man kill. There are books which captivate a man’s whole being and some people actually devote themselves to a certain someone all because of the power they feel in that someone’s words. Words can persuade, convince, prove, testify....and not only authorities take part in executing certain people who serve as threats—people who speak against their activities, or lest they verbalize what is not yet spoken of.
No one may be able to measure neither the height nor the width of the power of the tongue but history hints a vague figure. Many times in the course of history did groups of people stand up to say something. Even more times did a community march off to express their belief on what was spoken of. Many times people have gone to battle, even wars, because of something another party has expressed. Something does entitle words to such power, but where does it come from—do words entitle themselves to it or those speaking or hearing such give it power? Of any way, it can’t be denied that words have the power to move.
Words do not change but meaning that accompanies them do. It all depends on whom, how, and when words are used. As Havel would put it, words move up and down the meter humble-arrogant. Words give either hope or despair. “The tongue that brings healing is a tree of life, but a deceitful tongue crushes the spirit” it says in Proverbs 15:4. Variety of meanings pertaining to one word is inevitable but a great word losing its sense is a sad thought. What’s in a word anyway? It’s just a bunch of letters put together in order to represent, even more, a vague thought. Even the simplest word such as ‘box’ invites uncertainty around it. Language itself is a mystery. Isn’t it a wonder then how man is able to put together a mystery and make it obsolete with the use of words?
Even after everything that has been discussed, one must realize that his self is still the source of every letter, every syllable coming out of the mouth. Therefore words cannot be blamed. It all goes back to the source and how he is able to convey the message he wants to express. After all, conflicts do arise while the message is being sent to its receiver. In conclusion, one has to take responsibility for his own words.
“The tongue has the power of life and death and those who love it will eat its fruit”