65.2 Power of Speech

 65.2 Power of Speech

Question:

              Why should one pay attention to one’s speech?

 

Answers:

Since good and evil consequences may arise from

speech, it is wise to guard against blemishes in speech.               (Couplet – 642)

ஆக்கமுங் கேடும் அதனால் வருதலால்    

காத்தோம்பல் சொல்லின்கட் சோர்வு.                          (குறள் – 642)

 

Explanation:

Speech has the potential to cause good and bad consequences. While the demagoguery of Adolf Hitler laid the foundation for hatred and war, the speeches of Sir Winston Churchill encouraged Great Briton to fight against Adolf Hitler. United States President John F. Kennedy’s speech motivated the USA to take the lead in space exploration. Speeches of Rev. Martin Luther King inspired the USA to enact the Civil Rights Act of 1964, which outlawed discrimination based on race, color, religion, sex, or national origin in the USA. There are other examples of speeches by famous leaders that have altered the course of human history. The impact of speech is equally powerful in interpersonal communications also. A kind and gentle word from a friend is a great consolation in times of distress. Whereas an unkind, harsh and offending word stays like a wound that never heals. Since speech can cause good and bad consequences, one must pay special attention to one’s speech.