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arts, Budweiser, change teh world, change the world, Emily Pankhurst, French revolution, Lorea'l, Martin Luther King, Max Frisch, McDonalds, Mikhail Gorbachev, miscellaneous, Neil Armstrong, Nike, politics, quotes, random, Red Bull, thoughts, wordless, words that changed the world
People say that pictures say more than a 1000 words but I am not so sure about that. While I do love art and enjoy wandering around museums admiring all the old and new masterpieces I do think that words have a power of their own which can easily compete with a painting, drawing, sculpture or photo.
Don’t get me wrong I love that a work of art can make me think, dream, wonder and lose myself in the world or vision it creates but a single word can do the same. Love, friendship, hope, dreams, family or even hate, envy, fear and hurt are all words that evoke ideas, memories and feelings. A single word or a selection of words can do even more, they can literally transform your life, thoughts and the world.
Martin Luther Kings “I have a dream …” changed the way millions of Americans thought. Neil Armstorngs “One small step for man, one giant leap for mankind” made the world dream of the impossible. Liberté, Égalité, Fraternité embodied the French Revolution which changed Europe forever. Emily Pankhursts “Trust in God – she will provide” transformed the way women saw themselves and led to women being able to vote. Mikhail Gorbachevs “Perestroika and Glasnost” may have failed in their essence but these words were the beginning of the end of the Soviet Union. They led to the end of the Cold War, the fall of the Berlin Wall, the reunification of Germany, which in turn led to the the EU, be that positive or negative is a debate.
And of course there is advertising, ads use images to sell but they also rely on words to get the message across. I mean how many of you have said “WASSSUP?!” even if you weren’t thinking of Budweiser, or have said “It Gives You Wings” even if you weren’t drinking Red Bull, or prompted “Just do it” and weren’t wearing Nike, told someone “because they were worth it” even if they didn’t use Lorea’l or sang “I’m Loving it” nowhere near a McDonalds.
There are many, many more examples of words spoken or written that changed the world, and millions more that changed a single person who in turn changed the way people think. But today I fell wordless, empty don’t know what to say so I will leave you with these wonderful words by Swiss play-write and novelist Max Frisch :
You can put anything into words, except your own life.
jensinewall 