Man’s Superpower

Language.  Words. They are an ineffable part of our everyday life, yet we seldom give any thought to how we wield their power. From an evolutionary standpoint, our most recent common ancestor the CHLCA (short for Chimpanzee – Human Last Common Ancestor) gave up the protection being arboreal afforded them, to gain the precious tool of language as a way to communicate so they could present a more effective collective front against predators. I think nature has bestowed upon us this bounty honed over more than 5 million years of evolution to achieve great feats.

There exists little in this world that holds more power than that possessed by words. Though most of us choose to focus on their ability to inflict the deepest of wounds; we must also remember that they possess the capacity to be a balm on a bruised heart, bridge the widest of chasms between two people, even spur nations into revolutions. This is why I enjoy reading; words can conjure the most picturesque of imagery, opening the door of innumerable possibilities which seemed a little out of reach a moment ago. The most brilliant of writers have the power to make our minds resonate with truths with little more than a dozen words. Hence, the true measure of a writer, in my opinion, is not their ability to use flamboyant language, but their capability to suck the reader into the universe of their creation, so much so, that you experience the story for yourself.

While reading has always been a means of escape from my personal demons, I have found some of the most profound advice during my pursuit of temporary ignorance. What is even more amazing is that these profound moments of realization are vital not only to the growth of the protagonist, but are epiphanic to the reader as well. The beauty of these quotes is not that they offer flowery words of encouragement, rather, more often than not, they consist of harsh truths. That’s not to say that we don’t know these truths, a deep part of our subconscious recognizes them. It is a testament to the skill of these speakers and writers that they can present these disquieting truths in a manner that the listener (or reader) is rendered heartbroken as well as simultaneously amassing strength from the beautiful string of words.

In one of Marilyn Monroe’s famous quotes, she quite cuttingly says, “I believe that everything happens for a reason. People change so that you can learn to let go, things go wrong so that you appreciate them when they're right, you believe lies so you eventually learn to trust no one but yourself, and sometimes good things fall apart so better things can fall together.” Most people have either heard the beginning or the ending of that particular quote, but what has always stayed with me was the part in the middle. The start and end of that quote, while positive always seemed a little too good to be true; but the middle, describes the entirety of our interactions. The pragmatism of that has always helped me find my objectivity in any situation. Another agonizingly beautiful quote that always invokes a barrage of emotions in me is the famous eulogy given by Augustus in ‘The Fault in Our Stars’. It goes like this, “You don't get to choose if you get hurt in this world, but you do have a say in who hurts you. And I like my choices, I hope she likes hers.” What makes this quote one of my favourites is the fact that it manages to present a very simple yet lovely way of looking at the negatives in life. Oftentimes in life, we are so busy trying to control the result that we forget that we can influence how it impacts us.

Words are one of the most powerful weapons in our arsenal in the battlefield that is life. If used cleverly they can be the greatest assets but misuse it and they wreak havoc. Hence, those possess knowledge about this weapon have a distinct advantage over the rest. It’s time all of us realized the potential of the not so hidden treasure of words and level the playing field.