We live in a strange time where written word has surged again in importance. Communication has looped from spoken word to historical scriptures to public lectures to the printing press, newspapers and periodicals to radio, TV, the Internet, email, and text messaging. Some days, (perhaps most for some of us), we communicate more with typed text than we do with spoken word.
Words are just as important as ever.
Jokes don’t come through as clearly in text, tone is uncertain, and ambiguity reigns, especially if you try to communicate without the use of parenthetical emotional explanation or a few emoji.
I’ve experienced the frustration of not having the right word frequently lately. When you’re trying to explain something in a new language, your ability to communicate is greatly hindered by your lack of vocabulary. Stories aren’t quite as funny without the right word. Meaning is muddled without the same accuracy as before. Polished statements are nearly impossible and poignancy is checked at the door of a fresh non-native tongue.
I’ve been percolating on the importance of words for a while, and, well, I think, with some help, I’ve finally got a clearer picture of why these arrangements of letters are so critical.
Words carry meaning > meaning forms thoughts > thoughts determine belief > belief leads to action. Here’s what I mean.
Words carry meaning (and euphemism)
What we say or write always means something.[footnote]So don’t believe it when someone responds to the question, “What does that mean?” with the simple answer, “Nothing.”[/footnote] That’s the basis on which languages are formed. Language is a gift because it helps us explain thoughts, concepts, events, emotions, and ideas to others because of an agreed upon set of sounds. Words come with incredible responsibility.
Albert Mohler, broadcaster of The Briefing, recently mentioned how euphemisms change the way a culture thinks and feels about things that were once taboo. What we once called “adultery” and then an “affair” we now, most frequently, just call “cheating,” as in the same thing you do in a board game when you take some extra cash from the Monopoly bank.
Cultures tend to simplify and euphemize the uncomfortable–dying is passing away, adultery is cheating, bowel movements are going to the restroom. Heck, even urinating in your sleeping quarters is the much more delicate, wetting the bed.
Every word you type or spit out has meaning, and it is well worth considering before the utterance or the strike of the keyboard.
Meaning forms thoughts
From the agreed upon definition of words, we find meaning. Words, when grouped together, are always greater than the sum of its parts. Our favorite three-word-expression-of-emotion, “I love you,” seems to mean a whole lot more than 8 letters nicely arranged.
What we think about ourselves, about God, about others, it all takes words to express and understand. I agree with A. W. Tozer who said, “What comes into our minds when we think about God is the most important thing about us.” Without words, we can’t think, so our words matter because they determine our thoughts.
Thoughts determine belief
What we think about most frequently in many ways defines us. That’s a scary truth. What we mull over, wish for, dream about, and desire is a huge part of us, even if no other person knows what that thing is. The patterns of thought we replay in our minds, write in our journals, share with those near to us and far from us create a worldview of belief.
How we think can sometimes be succinctly summed up in a label. What takes a lot of words to explain is summarized. Slapping that well-defined, one-word label onto ourselves quickly tells us how to think. Conservative, progressive, liberal, fundamental, Buddhist, Muslim, Christian, green, hip, open, minimalist, vegan, heterosexual, homosexual, and so on. One word can sum up ideologies, worldviews, and beliefs.
If I say, “I’m a Christian” and truly believe it, that will begin to change the way I live. The monologues we rehearse and restate over and over in our minds create patterns of thoughts and speech which shape our most core ideas of who we are and how we should live in light of that.
Thoughts are defined, stereotyped, and distilled for ease of consumption. Nevertheless, words inevitably transform thoughts to become patterns of belief.
Belief leads to action
Democrats act one way. Republicans another. This applies to any label or category of belief. How we think about ourselves, God, the world, others, and ideas will ultimately lead us to do something about those things, even if that something is nothing at all (especially in the case of apathy and pessimism).
Words compel us to action, even if it’s a windy road that gets us there. Words carry meaning, which create thoughts, form beliefs, and then lead to action. This all starts with the simple organization of letters.
It’s important to find the right words because words describe what we believe. And what we believe is crucial to how we live our lives.
Words mean action.
Wrapping Up
There’s a lot more to be said about the words we use, how we say them, what words we avoid or cringe at, but for now, a few final helpful reminders.
Be careful about what you euphemize in light of what needs to be boldly and blatantly expressed.
The words we use will ultimately shape our beliefs and our actions. They are much more than mere letters.
Words matter. Use them wisely. Find the right ones. Don’t waste them.