There is this overwhelming notion among a large part of
society that “words don’t matter” and until action sees the light of day, then
what we say does not matter. To those people and nay sayers, I would love to
explain to you why it is that words do matter and the profound effect they have
on each and every one of us.
Because unless someone stands up to those with hearts full
of doubt, nothing will ever get better, and this world deserves to become a
place where words can both lift us from the precipice and send us on an
adventure through the lens of our neighbor.
Words and Our Brains
Let’s begin with how words function and process within our
brains. University of College London’s Dr.Scott explains, “The brain takes
speech and separates it into words and ‘melody’ – the varying intonation in
speech that reveals mood, gender and so on. Words are then shunted over to the
left temporal lobe for processing, while the melody is channelled to the right
side of the brain, a region more stimulated by music.”
This new research is ground breaking because it explains why
the rhythm and intonation of a person’s voice affect us on such a deep
emotional level. The reason when we listen to someone like Dr.Martin Luther
King give a speech in comparison to an average person read aloud his “I Have A
Dream“ speech, the two are going to give you two very different reactions.
The strong and melodic manner of speaking that Dr.King gave
on the steps of the Lincoln Memorial instills a sense of awe and admiration in
people listening. The content of his words was only half of the magic that
allowed his speech to touch millions, the other being his intonation and the
rhythm in which he spoke those famous words, “I have a dream.”
How
Words Predict Our Behavior
Words are more than simply tools for us to change our
emotional state or express how we feel. Recent studies and insight from leading
behavioral specialists have begun to utilize the words of people as accurate predictors
of their behavior and mental state. Psychology-chair at the University of Texas
Dr. James W. Pennbaker says, “The way that people refer to themselves and
others is highly diagnostic of their mental state.”
He goes on to say that when people are being deceptive in
laboratory experiments, their use of first person singular drops significantly.
Dr. James explains, “Indeed, the use of “I” is one of the best predictors of
honesty.” How much more can we learn by analyzing how a person speaks about themselves
and the choice of words they use?
The
Philosophy of Words
Now we both know that words affect us deeply on an emotional
level and are capable of describing us to extraordinary detail, but why do
words matter? Purpose is relative so I will explain to you why words matter to
a psychologist. Words are the vehicle for change and inspiration, they allow
the brightest minds on Earth to free themselves of the chains in their minds.
Words turn dreams and visions into reality, they give life
to all that remains hidden and kept away. They allow ideas, innovations and
movements to see the light of day when in any other circumstance they would
have stayed asleep among the midst of chaotic hum drum in our minds. We’ve all
experienced this phenomenon, you know what you must do, how you must do it, but
you cannot muster up the courage to do it.
The gate to insights sits closed, shining brilliantly in
your face, waiting for the key to unlock it. But the key never comes, until,
everything goes quiet and for the first time you feel as if everything makes
sense and you know what you’ve yearned for. The golden key arrives in the form
of a simple, yet profound combination of words. At last, words have given hope
a chance. Words have given you, a chance.
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