Words have Power: Choose Them Wisely!
Disclaimer: Part of this work is inspired by the research of Mr Vivek Chaturvedi (ex Navy Officer), Ms Saj Smith (U.K based activist), Mr David Hilton & other independent contributors from across the world, collated by the team of Karuwaki-Speaks. Credit is given duly to the above mentioned.
In our everyday lives we rarely pay attention to the specifics of what we say, the words, the phrases. Our intention is to get our point & message across and get on with our busy lives. We are ‘taught’ the basics of language from primary school and by the time we are adults, the root meaning & subconscious effects of words, language is relegated to the so-called literary buffs.
But even literary experts and linguists in their search for ever increasing complexity in expression rarely step back and think about the core of our expressions. However, since ancient times philosophers and textbooks have tried to convey that every word we write and speak out has an effect on the universe. Words in essence are no less than magic spells.
For the so-called logical readers, bear with us on a thought experiment. Let us assume that words and phrases do have an effect on our vibrations and life. With that assumption in mind let us look a little deeper into some everyday expressions and their possible hidden, subliminal meanings. And can their be alternatives in the way we speak?
What is the first thing we say to each other when we meet?
Hello
or
Hell-o (how many times do you say ‘Hell’ in a day without realising?)
Or if its early we may greet each other and say
Good Morning.
Say that again. Good Mourning. So in the start of the day we are ‘Mourning’.
How do most of us spend our lives. As working people our time is in a sense divided between
Weekdays & Weekends.
We spend a chunk of our life in a Weak-Daze, unawares & weak in a Trance working away.
By the time it’s Friday (or Thursday in the Gulf) we enter the Weekend Weakened. From being in a weak daze to being wakened AND REPEAT.
Some of the audience may not be working any-more and you might chuckle about this not being applicable. When we don’t work, we become retired.
If you catch our drift, you are RE-TIRED. After a lifetime of work, one doesn’t become tranquil or at peace. They become ‘Tired Again’.
Readers might argue that these are just co-incidental phrases and also point to how else shall we convey these commonplace terms. There is always an alternative and one doesn’t have to look beyond English.
How about when we greet each other we say Higher (wishing each other higher vibrations).
Good Mourning can simply be anything like Have a great Start or Blessed Beginnings…….
Still not convinced in the power of words. Well, they say words are magic and well when you write or say anything you are after all Spelling...Spell ing or Casting Spells.
Here are some other common expressions you may need to rethink: PERFORM. When one asks you to ‘perform’ there is often a nervousness & hesitancy & so called stage-fright. There should be. Because PERFORM is a constrictive term. Per-Form. Or Act as per form or structure. Isn’t it less stressful on the so called ‘performers’ part to Express, Create, Free-flow..rather than sticking to ‘Form’.
Form & Structure are at the core of modern language & in lieu society.
At ‘Formal’ events we wear a Suit & Tie.
The observant reader may have caught on. The root meaning of the word ‘Suit’ is to ‘Follow’.
And goes without saying, a ‘Tie’ is to Tie us in. So, we may go to a Corporate Event or Office and wear a Suit & Tie and think we are educated. But are we?
Coming to corporations. All around us are corporations, no part of our lives are untouched by them. We give so much importance to them. But what are corporations again. Think of that word.
Corp-oration = Dead Entity.
So, we spend our ‘living time’ working for the dead.
But how do we get to the stage of working in the first place. By being ‘obedient’ and ‘following’ our ‘lessons’ in school. Our parents tell us if you don’t do your ‘lessons’ you will become a ‘moron’.
Firstly ‘obedient’ is a very strong word. It doesn’t mean to simply listen. It means to be servile & serve. Don’t ask your children to Obey. Request them to listen.
Follow = ‘Fall – Low’. (Never Follow someone. You may take inspiration but don’t Fall-Low).
And wait by doing your ‘less-ons’ you don’t become a ‘more-on’? Something doesn’t feel so right there. Why would we not want to be ‘More on’.
Similarly, there are the words Awful and Awesome. Awful is a negative word (or so we are told). And its amazing to be Awesome.
Wait, so its good to have ‘Some Awe’ (Awesome) but not to be full of it (Full of Awe = Awe Ful).
A few more:Define = De-Fine, removing the finese and intricacy of something and making it crude. Don’t de-fine something, express it to its full potential.
For the engineers & innovators out there. Are you Designers?
Think again. Design = De-sign, removing your signature from creation. (Be En-signers instead).
Lets take a few steps back. What’s one of the first things we learn to do in school.
Write in ‘Cursive’.
Cursive. Or Curse-ive. We learn to ‘curse’ right from the start?
We think of gatherings and venues as a positive place of meeting and coming together. To Convene. Indeed it is, but language has again inverted this meaning over the years.
Con-Vene, Con-Venient, Convenience.
Based on the root latin word of Venue. One may be surprised that the root meaning of venue is ‘Coming together to attack/destroy’. So when acting out of ‘Con-Venience’ or when ‘Convening’ at a ‘Venue’…..(we leave the rest for you to ‘de-cipher’).
This is only scratching the surface. Our basic titles in society too have inverted meanings.
A young male is often called Master. But has he grows older it becomes ‘Mister’.
Mister is not a title. Its entomology can be traced to ‘myster’ which refers to a person of trade or a vocational person. So from being a Master we are reduced to an object of trade.
Modern language is not so kind to women. Unmarried girls or young girls are called Miss.
So till a woman is not married or attached to a ‘Myster’ she is ‘A-Miss’ or ‘Missing’. Missing from society or not be considered.
And what about the guardians of these Masters & Misses. The parents?
Or the ‘Pair-That-Rents’ them. Meaning so called ‘parents’ simply ‘rent’ them till they are returned to the state. (This is linked to the Birth Certificate & Roots of Law, but that is a whole different subject altogether).
The inversion of language is getting stronger and stronger. A common saying in the so called ‘Urban’ or ‘Youth Lingo’ is Sick or Ill.
Teenagers listen to music genres like ‘Drill’ & Appreciate them by saying ‘This music is Sick’ or something that is beautiful is ‘Ill’ or ‘Sick’ (with positive meaning attached)
But the words themselves are inherently negative. A music genre (currently the most popular) that is called ‘Drill’ can only ‘Drive Your Mind Ill’. One wonders why the current Gen-Z is one of the most ‘Sickly’ generations in history. Wait history?. Or ‘His-Story’? Whose story?.
Another common phrase these days is ‘Jabbed’. Everyone wants to get ‘Double Jabbed’.
The Jab is a old pugilism (precursor to modern day boxing) term for the set-up or initial punch. A common combination in fighting is to get hit with 2 jabs and then a power hand (the Cross or X).
So people line up to be ‘Double-Jabbed’and then X (cross)?’
A better phrasing would be…
“I can’t wait to boost my Immunity & Create a Shield to Pathogens’. Not
“I can’t wait to be double jabbed” (You want to be hit with two jabs? Really?)
Beyond single words, one must also consider the way we structure sentences. Our modern language is full of self-doubts and pre-created failures.
‘Hopefully I will get to go there.’, ‘If that happens then and everything falls in place then we will do this/that’.
When we take a step to walk, do we second guess every step? We don’t hesitate before each step. Or ‘Hope’ that the next step is ok. We simply Walk. If an obstacle comes in the way, we either stop or side-step it. So why is it when we speak, the same doesn’t happen. ‘I will go there’. Simple. Why hope?
We often see in official mandates and directives the word Must. And when we see the word Must our subconscious immediately ‘Obeys’. But the word Must has no weight-age to it.
Must = May
So next time someone says ‘You Must do….’. Fear Not. The root meaning is ‘You May…’ . A simple request cloaked as an ‘Order’ because of our own lack of understanding of language.
Hopefully this will have given….... Scratch that. This will have given you a basic insight into the inversion and subliminally negative connotations of the modern English Language. And if you think other languages like Spanish, Hindi or any others are any better. You may or must be mistaken. Here is one from Hindi (given the Audience demographics) to ‘conclude’ (another very strong word) this article.
A boy and girl used be called ‘Balak’ and ‘Balika’. Now it is ‘Ladka’ & ‘Ladki’.
There is ‘Ladhna’ or ‘Fighting’ from the start of existence. How will there be peace?.
