The power of words

   

                       

                         The power of words 

‘Mere words have an extraordinary significance for us; they have a neurological effect whose sensations are more important than what is beyond the symbol.’

Krishnamurti

Words and concepts have a magical quality in that they ‘stand in’ for our thoughts. We think using words and when they are linked together by logical reasoning, they help us to arrive at good conclusions and decisions. 

Words also have power to evoke emotions. Look at the way news is presented in different ways by the media: For example, have a look at the following two headlines which describe the same event:  

‘Vicious dog attacks defenseless man’

‘Cruel owner bitten by abused dog’

This example highlights the problem of 'perspective' or one's point of view as shown by the choice of words of two different reporters. Notice the different feelings you experience as a result of the words used. 

The effect of ‘words’ on our minds and thinking

Mental exercises such as affirmations show how powerful words can be when they enter our subconscious minds. But even consciously, in everyday life people can be easily swayed or seduced by highly emotional or great-sounding words and ideas, which can have almost a hypnotic effect on those who are open to the message. The right words can have a powerful effect on our minds. For example, if someone tells you that there’s a vicious dog just behind the next gate, you will know what this means and be extra careful to make sure the gate is closed when you pass by. And if your partner phones and tells you that you have just won a pile of money in that competition you entered, your state of mind will quickly change and you will be very excited. Obviously, it is the meaning and implications of what is being said that gives the impetus and direction to our actions. In fact, words are so important that if we don’t understand a concept, we will struggle to understand any inner experience linked to that concept.

Our understanding and openness to new knowledge deepens with each new concept that we master and this is the reason why I believe in reading more holistic books and articles, so that our thoughts and vocabulary will expand and become more universal and able to accommodate new ideas. 

Self-talk

Having the right thoughts (or words) are especially important for our self-talk. Self-talk is the inner ‘conversations’ we have with ourselves when we are put into any situation. Put simply, it is ‘what we tell ourselves’ when placed in these circumstances. Sometimes we may speak our self-talk our aloud (thinking out loud), but for the most part it takes place subconsciously without us even knowing what we are saying to ourselves and this is where the danger lies. 

As I have just shown in the example of the ‘vicious’ or ‘abused’ dog, the words in our self-talk can trigger emotions which, in turn, can affect our thinking and decision-making. Words can either be positive and uplifting or negative and dis-empowering. Holding onto negative thoughts can be a real problem if they filter through from our subconscious minds and come out as our self-talk. 

Let me give you another example:

Tom had a difficult childhood and ended up as an adult with low self-esteem. This is shown in his self-talk when he is around women, which would probably be something along the lines of : 

‘I am not very popular with women’ 

Or 'Women simply don't like me' 

This is not necessarily the case. The problem is that this type of self-talk is being reflected in his insecure body language (social awkwardness) and social avoidance, which reinforces the idea that Tom is not a fun fellow to be with. This causes women to avoid him even more. In this way his inner conversations (words) become a self-fulfilling prophecy. It is important for our growth and development that we be prepared to challenge and change this type of negative self-talk. 

The effect of metaphors on our minds

To add to this theme on the power of words, try looking at the metaphors you use every day to describe yourself, your situations and the world itself. Metaphors have a special, powerful effect on our minds and thinking. There is a recorded case of a spectator calling a soccer referee a clown and who was convinced he saw the referee’s uniform change into a clown suit. In other words, the clown metaphor filtered into his subconscious mind and acted as a cue to activate the idea of a clown suit which was then superimposed by his mind and imagination onto the referee’s uniform. This is not an isolated case, and there are many cases of people using cue words to influence our thinking and even what we believe we are seeing. In fact, cue words are often used by magic entertainers as the power of suggestion.  

Metaphors also subconsciously affect the way we look at ourselves, at life and reality itself. For example, the metaphor ‘living between a rock and a hard place’ leads us to the idea that life is all suffering.  However, if we change this metaphor to a more open and universal one, such as ‘life is the field of all possibilities’ and we really believe it to be so, we confirm to our subconscious mind that we are open and receptive to new possibilities and experiences and our subconscious minds will respond accordingly. 

‘Our words change our perception and if we change our language, we change our reality ‘

Luigi Boscolo