Tuesday, March 16, 2010

Words


Words - so innocent and powerless as they are, as standing in a dictionary, how potent for good and evil they become in the hands of one who knows how to combine them.
~Nathaniel Hawthorne


After yesterday's post about the Historical Thesaurus of the Oxford English Dictionary, I thought this quote was a fitting post for today. I think writers understand, better than most, the power of the written (and spoken) word.


What words would you consider to be among the most powerful?

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32 comments:

  1. UnknownMarch 16, 2010 at 6:23 AM

    Faith, hope, charity, forgive, still, thanks...

    That is a beautiful and very fitting quote.

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  2. kahMarch 16, 2010 at 6:36 AM

    LOVE. By far the most powerful.

    Dream, create, evolve, be (other great ones.)

    Great quote. :)

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  3. Kelly LymanMarch 16, 2010 at 6:41 AM

    Love that quote. Most powerful...

    love, hate, always

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  4. Kimberly FranklinMarch 16, 2010 at 6:56 AM

    Great quote!

    Love, dream, perseverance.

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  5. Vivian MahoneyMarch 16, 2010 at 6:57 AM

    Love this. Words are so powerful to heal, to hurt, to strengthen. Most powerful words? Good question. Today, I'm going with Faith.

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  6. Vivian MahoneyMarch 16, 2010 at 6:57 AM

    Love this. Words are so powerful to heal, to hurt, to strengthen. Most powerful words? Good question. Today, I'm going with Faith.

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  7. storyqueenMarch 16, 2010 at 7:33 AM

    I love the collage....kind of makes me want to create one with words I love.

    Maybe I'll just play on worldle...less gluey.

    Lovely post, Shannon.

    Shelley

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  8. Laurel GarverMarch 16, 2010 at 7:34 AM

    I'm reminded of that old rhyme "sticks and stones may break my bones..." and always felt "but words can never hurt me" was an extremely harmful lie.

    This is the version I tell my daughter: "sticks and stones may break my bones and words can pierce the soul."

    The ones i warn her against:
    always, never, stupid, ugly, mean

    The ones I cheer her to use:
    like, appreciate, thanks, good, kind, special, talented, fun, creative

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  9. Courtney Barr - The Southern PrincessMarch 16, 2010 at 7:36 AM

    Desire. Relinquish. Faith. Inspire. Forgive. Love. so so many...


    I love this quote! As usual you find the best ones for the best days! ;o)


    Visit My Kingdom Anytime

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  10. Jemi FraserMarch 16, 2010 at 7:39 AM

    Love, kindness, respect, acceptance.

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  11. Stephanie DamoreMarch 16, 2010 at 8:07 AM

    Let's see: Never, forever, Always. Words that are promises.

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  12. Tamika:March 16, 2010 at 8:25 AM

    Love. Everything that matters means a measure of love.

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  13. HeatherMarch 16, 2010 at 8:25 AM

    I agree with Hawthorne. I can't say that any words are powerful on their own - it's how you combine them, and how you use them in context, that give them all their power. Great quote!

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  14. Stephanie ThorntonMarch 16, 2010 at 8:41 AM

    Love the quote!

    I think all words can be powerful- it's just in how they're used.

    Thank you for the butterfly award, BTW. I just got back yesterday and saw you'd left me that. I love mariposas!

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  15. Tales of WhimsyMarch 16, 2010 at 8:45 AM

    What an absolutely true statement :)

    For me the most powerful words tend to be the ones that evoke strong emotion:
    anguish, venomous, forbidden
    or
    adoration, serendipity, kismet, compassion

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  16. Ms. SasakiMarch 16, 2010 at 9:20 AM

    Believe, faith, love, dream, give and passion :D

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  17. Kayeleen HamblinMarch 16, 2010 at 9:21 AM

    I think that what is a powerful word depends on the person. Each unique experience makes words mean something different.

    For me, words that express emotion are the most powerful. Love. Peace. Connection. Things that unite people. Those are the words that have the most power for me.

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  18. Shannon O'DonnellMarch 16, 2010 at 9:23 AM

    I LOVE all the thinking behind these comments. Several of you have made some really great points, and you are all wonderfully sincere about your word choices. Thanks for making my day! :-)

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  19. Kelly PolarkMarch 16, 2010 at 10:12 AM

    Love and believe!

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  20. Liz @ Cleverly InkedMarch 16, 2010 at 10:18 AM

    Sublime, Paradisaical, Divine, Lovesome. I think all words have a type of beauty its what you are trying to portray.

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  21. Mary AalgaardMarch 16, 2010 at 10:41 AM

    This post has me thinking. A few words that pop into my mind - mine, chosen, empower, love, hope, believe.

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  22. Elana JohnsonMarch 16, 2010 at 11:44 AM

    Your blog always inspires me.

    There are five:

    I'm sorry.

    I love you.

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  23. AnonymousMarch 16, 2010 at 11:58 AM

    A word that touches my heart is "freedom!" :O)

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  24. TerryLynnJohnsonMarch 16, 2010 at 1:31 PM

    What fun - talking about WORDS! gotta love how they sit on a page, all innocent, but wow, they can make an impact.

    Lots of profound, powerful words in these comments! Great stuff.

    I keep a notebook with words I've heard that I love. Maybe not the most powerful, but don't forget humble words like

    capitulate

    doesn't that sound awesome on your tongue?

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  25. sarahjayne smytheMarch 16, 2010 at 2:05 PM

    So true and I love the quote. I'll have to think about the words that stand out the most for me. :)

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  26. PattiMarch 16, 2010 at 2:53 PM

    Great quote. Right now the word that I need most is "faith"

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  27. Sara {Rhapsody and Chaos}March 16, 2010 at 3:47 PM

    hope, friendship, honesty, LOVE...

    and on the downside: hate, ugly, fat (yep, I think that is one powerful word)

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  28. Shelley SlyMarch 16, 2010 at 3:53 PM

    I'm with those that have mentioned "love" and "faith" as two of the most powerful words.

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  29. Carolyn V.March 16, 2010 at 3:55 PM

    Good question Shannon. They can all be used for good and bad, I think. =)

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  30. Jennie EnglundMarch 16, 2010 at 5:11 PM

    "Yes!"


    (Shannon, I must know... what are Montana's 6 Writing Traits? In Oregon, we call them Content Areas. They are Content, Organization, Voice, Word Choice, Sentence Fluency, and Conventions.)

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  31. *March 17, 2010 at 4:14 PM

    The most powerful word for me is:

    Love.

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  32. Sherrie PetersenMarch 20, 2010 at 5:41 AM

    Most powerful words? When it comes to writing I'd say these words would make my head spin:

    Multiple offers
    Auction
    Pre-empt
    Deal
    Signing
    Sold

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Go ahead...make my day! Leave a comment. :)