What comes to mind when you think about power? Is it a politician who decides whether his country will go to war? Is it a nuclear missile sending massive clouds of dirt and radiation into the air? What about the power required to run a heating furnace all winter? All of these things are very powerful, but what you may not realize is that you can trace all of their origins and effectiveness back to the power of words. Words are the ultimate power, and here at Forum Passa Parola, we'll explore the various things they have achieved, accomplished, and affected throughout the years.
Take the example of the politician. Politicians can decide who gets government contracts, who will live or die in a war, and where the future of a country lies. But how did the politician get this power? Through words. He or she used words in speeches, posters, websites, and more to convince voters to elect him or her. And once in office, a politician wields his or her power through words. Orders to the army, press releases, speeches, ultimatums. It all boils down to words.
Words have a much more subtle power, too. Writers use words to educate, to entertain, and to enlighten. You may not think that a children's novel about a lost dog has much power, but think about what happens to the children who read and are touched by this story. Do they on to advocate for the rights of animals? Do they adopt animals of their own? Do they become a veterinarian or stock broker? Even seemingly inconsequential words can have immense power when wielded properly.
Not all words have power, however. For example, if we were to publicize a string of nonsense - duck, motorhome, drip, fangango - the only power these words would have would be to cause confusion. In order to have real power, they must have both form and content. Form means following the grammatical rules that help our communications make sense, and content means that they carry a message that is able to touch and affect people with its authority, emotion, or logic.
You too can wield power through words by learning more about them and how to use them to accomplish your aims. Whether you want to move an audience to tears at your best friends wedding or convince your landlord to let you have a pet in your apartment, we can help you wield your words in a way that works with your aims. Words can be tools or weapons, so tread carefully. Start you lessons by selecting an article and reading up on a topic.
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