The power of words

A lie can travel halfway around the world while the truth is putting on its shoes.

-- Samuel Clemens

"Tell me what The Word is..."

-"I'm Back" by Baby Bash

______

"Word Up!"

-various artists, playas & general whatevas

______


"Word!"

-Someone, Somewhere, USA; every minute of the day

What do you think the single most powerful word is?


I?

"Yes".

And the least powerful word?

"maybe" ?

Re: The power of words



My opinion is that: Their power is in the ability to deceive, and control humanity.

Marquis



But then the words you used don't mean anything. So, how can you say that "words don't mean anything"?

Re: The power of words


Words and concepts collectively represent the uniqueness of humanity. Without them, we'd be no different from the rest of the animals.

Re: The power of words


Are we different from the animals?

What is so great about words that separates us from the animals?

Are words "better" than the sounds that whales, dolphins, birds, dogs, or other animals use to communicate?

I've had the good fortune to be able to spend considerable time on the ocean, often close to groups of dolphins and whales for long periods of time.

Watching these animals and their movements, their actions--I am not convinced that it can be argued that humanity is not more "advanced" in many, if any, important ways. Seriously.

I find if I think of language as "magic" it makes it easier to see how powerful it is.

I can approach someone and give them the "magic" power to know what I have done, what I saw and explain my understanding of a situation. No other animals can do that. It makes it possible to build entire civilizations.

The most powerful word in English is the c word. It's still strong enough to be used as a weapon...both attack and defense.

Words are the elements of the social.Nature is silent.

DH Lawrence examines the difference all through his writings.

Humans have used words,and the derivative art,to dominate nature.Should we choose we might exterminate most natural things.Dogs,whales,dolphins,trees etc etc.But how about the humble virus?

So one might say we are superior to any species which we could exterminate if we chose and inferior to those which we can't and which are possibly only one mutation away from exterminating us.A species surviving at our pleasure can hardly be superior to us.And in the silence of nature there is no superiority or inferiority.There is a red in tooth and claw war of all against all.The beautiful tree takes all the light from life forms beneath it which need light.

How's that for a metaphor?

That word has not a tenth part of the power to which you allude, among Americans.

Probably true Setanta.

I think it is still taught in women's self-defense classes as a shock tactic though... and it's still used as a form of abuse, no?

What word would you say has more power?

I think the exercise of attempting to find which word has the most power is rather a ridiculous one. The only word with such power in use in America is n1gger.

Pardon me for answering your questions out of order. No, except for some insignificant regional variants, the "c" word is not used here as it is used elsewhere in the English-speaking world. It is never, for example, applied to men, and it is only applied to women in private exchanges in which it is the intent of a man to wound a woman's feelings. It's most common use is simply as a vulgarity describing the female anatomy. I am at a loss to understand if you contend that it is taught in self-defense classes in the U.S., which i would find an implausible contention.

Yes I was wondering about the n word, in fact I feared suggesting it (which probably proves your point).

I don't know about US self-defense, but yes it is (was?) taught here, since they teach you to not play the victim in potential rape situations but to spoil the fantasy by taking an aggressive stance (and yes we use it for men too, strangely enough, although the meaning is the same)

(Home time - 'evening all.) >edit.

Words only have power if the thoughts they symbolize are picked up as such. For those who are offended by, say, the "n" word the symbol is probably more powerful than the thought it evokes. Among African Americans the "n" word sounds far less powerful - I guess it makes a difference who uses it.

I apologise for posting on this thread.I misunderstood the title.Sorry.