Reckless Words Pierce Like a Sword
The power of words is a mystifying thing. Gossip, for example, has been described as a form of verbal terrorism. Well known proverbs reflect how words can be a two-edged sword:
• Reckless words pierce like a sword, but the tongue of the wise brings healing. – Proverbs 15:4
•The tongue that brings healing is a tree of life, but a deceitful tongue crushes the spirit. – Proverbs 12: 18
Then there is this English maxim emphasizing that you do not need harsh words to get your point across in an argument; mild words can be more persuasive:
•Use soft words and hard arguments.
A Chinese proverb confirms this:
• Harsh words and poor reasoning never settle anything.
What else has rightly been said about words? Here are some Arabic sayings:
• If words are of silver, then silence is of gold. (One must be careful not to overgeneralize this though as in some situations silence might signal cowardice or capitulation.)
• Lies are the plague of speech.
• Proverbs are the lamp of speech.
Another adage, often attributed to Napoleon Bonaparte, applies to many contexts (as technical communication students will agree):
• A picture is worth a thousand words.
The list is endless, but these Latin proverbs are especially noteworthy:
• Dictum sapienti sat est: A word to the wise is sufficient.
•Vox audita perit littera scripta manet: The spoken word perishes, the written words remain.
•Acta non verba: Deeds, not words.
• Sunt facta verbis difficiliora: Works are harder than words - i.e. "Easier said than done."
• Verba docent, exempla trahunt: Words instruct, illustrations lead.
This short video illustrates how words can change a message: "The Power of Words".
Finally, Rudyard Kipling once noted that "Words are, of course, the most powerful drug used by mankind."
Stay tuned for more words.
Posted by May Mikati on 07 November 2011, 1:16 PM
The power of words is a mystifying thing. Gossip, for example, has been described as a form of verbal terrorism. Well known proverbs reflect how words can be a two-edged sword:
• Reckless words pierce like a sword, but the tongue of the wise brings healing. – Proverbs 15:4
•The tongue that brings healing is a tree of life, but a deceitful tongue crushes the spirit. – Proverbs 12: 18
Then there is this English maxim emphasizing that you do not need harsh words to get your point across in an argument; mild words can be more persuasive:
•Use soft words and hard arguments.
A Chinese proverb confirms this:
• Harsh words and poor reasoning never settle anything.
What else has rightly been said about words? Here are some Arabic sayings:
• If words are of silver, then silence is of gold. (One must be careful not to overgeneralize this though as in some situations silence might signal cowardice or capitulation.)
• Lies are the plague of speech.
• Proverbs are the lamp of speech.
Another adage, often attributed to Napoleon Bonaparte, applies to many contexts (as technical communication students will agree):
• A picture is worth a thousand words.
The list is endless, but these Latin proverbs are especially noteworthy:
• Dictum sapienti sat est: A word to the wise is sufficient.
•Vox audita perit littera scripta manet: The spoken word perishes, the written words remain.
•Acta non verba: Deeds, not words.
• Sunt facta verbis difficiliora: Works are harder than words - i.e. "Easier said than done."
• Verba docent, exempla trahunt: Words instruct, illustrations lead.
This short video illustrates how words can change a message: "The Power of Words".
Finally, Rudyard Kipling once noted that "Words are, of course, the most powerful drug used by mankind."
Stay tuned for more words.
Posted by May Mikati on 07 November 2011, 1:16 PM
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