On the Ownership and Responsibility of our Words

We, as individuals, are heavily burdened with responsibility. As free agents under a sovereign land, beyond the order of law and duty as citizens, beyond the realm of obligation and cordiality, within the bounds of self-imposed growth, resides our restless conscience which calls us to consider and take ownership of all of our actions. Though no law of the land requires us to respect this realm of conscience, the Law of our Soul beckons for a moral code in which we can enrich ourselves and our social environment. I am not writing about basic legal conduct legislated to bring forth a baseline peace amongst the people of a nation. Nor am I writing about the nuances of policing conduct which threatens our well-being. Violence, thievery, treason, slander, conspiracy, and the sort, are moot to the hearts of those this essay strives to reach. Even the deeds acted out by our bodies is not the topic in which I wish to explore. Take a moment to speak these words aloud; feel them roll off your tongue. Feel how your tongue touches your teeth and the roof of your mouth, how your lips form the difference between a “b” and a “p.” Feel the air escape your lungs as you subconsciously use it to vibrate your vocal cords. These are the actions I wish to bring to your attention. A conscious mind that focuses on its utterances is truly one that is attuned. So be attuned as I proceed.

Metaphors are never meant to make literal sense; just as the flap of a butterfly's wings certainly cannot cause a tsunami on the other side of the planet. They are meant to guide us in the metaphysical plane of understanding. As the sole conscious species of the land of the Earth, we enjoy a taste of experience beyond the limits of our mere physical bodies. The barrier that separates physical manifestation and the ether where our thoughts abound is vague. I once read an article that observed people reading silently to themselves. State-of-the-art imaging unveiled that the average reader, when reading silently, actually forms the words with micro-movements in their mouth and throat. Speed-readers have the gift, or have simply trained themselves, not to make these micro-movements thus freeing themselves of the physical boundaries which limit most of us to a reading speed that equals our speaking speed capacity. Mastery over your body is the key to freeing your mind so that it may reach its full and perhaps limitless potential. However, as social creatures we are forced to interact with each other and since nature did not give us the power of telepathy, we must use language to convey our messages. The act of speaking is stepping from the metaphysical to the physical; the act of listening is stepping from the physical to the metaphysical. There are two sides to the coin of communication.

Clarity in communication is vital as most of us know, but the transition from speaker to listener is bound to filter our words through biases built by our experiences. It is impossible for me to impart the thoughts herein to my reader as if they themselves had written them. If that were possible I would not have to spend so much time writing these words for my reader to understand the essence of the idea which is in my head. I hold the belief that ideas are infinitesimal points of gravity in which we can never touch but can only orbit with our words. The more metaphysical satellites we send around an idea which exists in our mind, the more clearly others can see the outline of such an idea. This is the reason why volumes upon volumes exist on the elucidation of an idea such as free will: an attribute that exists instinctually within us all. For we all share a nature of body, mind, and soul.

Here is the core importance of taking responsibility and ownership of our words. The landscape of language is our canvas and we are the artists. Words ripple through the fabric of interpersonal relationships creating a butterfly effect of real consequence. Antoinette, George III, Lincoln, Churchill, Hitler, Kennedy, King Jr., Trump, and countless others have used the landscape of language to construct the foundation their legacies now rest upon, history being their judge. Words with intent and words that slip so easily from the mouth can cause equal effect. Precision of language is of chief importance, and it is our social duty to employ only the words we understand completely. An ocean of knowledge is before your fingertips at this very moment and it only takes a small amount of dedication to hone and expand your vocabulary. Therefore, consider and choose your words carefully. Influence is as light as a feather but as massive as a ship.