Word Play In Private And Public Discourse
M P K Kutty
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We are making waves in our social media. It is true that the average individual finds an opportunity to occupy public space and make himself heard. This should be considered a blessing of democracy and an advance towards equality of opportunity .The downside is that a torrent of words gets into circulation, often influencing a wide spectrum of people with both positive and negative results.We live in times when spurious “realities“ are manufactured by various players in the public domain by the politically powerful, by speech givers and writers, by bloggers and also by those claiming allegiance to certain religious groupings.What we get, as a result, is a varied and confused interpretation of reality . There is so much smoke but very little light. To decipher the truth in the huge haze populated by words becomes a Herculean task! If the written word is a powerful means of reaching out to a vast audience, so is the spoken word, more so when transmitted via widely consumed media, including social media. We are no strangers to the phenomenon of casual remarks made by those in the limelight causing political storms or remarks becoming subjects of discussion in the media for days and weeks together. Indiscriminate andor irresponsible utterances by people in responsible positions and who are influential are creating more havoc in public consciousness than doing anything positive towards creating an atmosphere of peace and harmony .
We don't need a Dale Carnegie to analyse what roles spoken and written words play in building bridges of reconciliation or in aggravating conflicts and confrontations.We need to use a language that brings people closer together for common, holistic benefit. What we say or write needs to be directed at improving relationships and clearing any misunderstandings, and perhaps offer positive solutions rather than further contribute to divisive tendencies.
There is this explosive statement attributed to Marie Antoinette of France, (consort of Louis XVI) who, upon hearing that the country's peasants had no bread, said “Then let them eat cake!“ Among other things, this story doing the rounds could have further angered the people, leading to the French revolution according to some historians.
There is much to be said in favour of the scriptural affir mation: “Out of the abundance of the heart, the mouth speaks.“
Are our words coloured with bitterness and anger? Then we need to look within and know what causes such disturbance on the inside. Words, at times, are ters of our state of mind. Words have power. Words can be used effectively to soothe tempers. On the other hand, a high-octave emotional speech intended to provoke for the wrong reasons could instigate violence and lead to destruction.
The Bible says that in eternity we will be judged by the very words that we have spoken. And in this life, our success or happiness will depend to a great extent on how we communicate our thoughts. How others react to what we say also depends in large measure on the kind of words spoken by us and the context.
Throughout life, we go on sowing words ... Are they words of encouragement and appreciation?
Are they negative? Are they unfairly judgmental and critical? Do our words wound others? Well, life is a great whispering gallery that sends back all the echoes. Let this be our prayer: “Set a guard, O Lord, over my mouth; keep watch over the door of my lips!“
We don't need a Dale Carnegie to analyse what roles spoken and written words play in building bridges of reconciliation or in aggravating conflicts and confrontations.We need to use a language that brings people closer together for common, holistic benefit. What we say or write needs to be directed at improving relationships and clearing any misunderstandings, and perhaps offer positive solutions rather than further contribute to divisive tendencies.
There is this explosive statement attributed to Marie Antoinette of France, (consort of Louis XVI) who, upon hearing that the country's peasants had no bread, said “Then let them eat cake!“ Among other things, this story doing the rounds could have further angered the people, leading to the French revolution according to some historians.
There is much to be said in favour of the scriptural affir mation: “Out of the abundance of the heart, the mouth speaks.“
Are our words coloured with bitterness and anger? Then we need to look within and know what causes such disturbance on the inside. Words, at times, are ters of our state of mind. Words have power. Words can be used effectively to soothe tempers. On the other hand, a high-octave emotional speech intended to provoke for the wrong reasons could instigate violence and lead to destruction.
The Bible says that in eternity we will be judged by the very words that we have spoken. And in this life, our success or happiness will depend to a great extent on how we communicate our thoughts. How others react to what we say also depends in large measure on the kind of words spoken by us and the context.
Throughout life, we go on sowing words ... Are they words of encouragement and appreciation?
Are they negative? Are they unfairly judgmental and critical? Do our words wound others? Well, life is a great whispering gallery that sends back all the echoes. Let this be our prayer: “Set a guard, O Lord, over my mouth; keep watch over the door of my lips!“
