I saw this movie called Dangerous Liasions a long time ago,and it brought home to me very forcefully a truth nebulously known for a long time..intoxicating,enchanting,trite ,boring,deadly..depending solely on the person who weilds them,words can become weapons,as powerful as the tides pulling you under relentlessly or as ineffectual as raindrops on a duck's back.
So what is needed to have that kind of wizardary over words?not an intimate knowledge of wren and martin,though having a good vocabulary certainly helps. It helps as well if you can weave together phrases which captivate,but thats just wit. I think,at the end of the day,what it really comes down to is imagery. Whether written or spoken,if you can paint a picture with your words,if you can make them live and breathe and aquire a life of their own,if you can use them to create worlds,insubstansial and frothy but holding one within their grips,if you can push reality away,or make it more real,then you have the Gift.
To transport someone into another way of thinking,against rationality,against reason,against even their own inclination,even if for a short while is a heady feeling.those who can ,often take this ability for granted,not fully appreciating or maybe caring the devastating effect they can have over the naive,the impressionable.put simply they can seduce..your mind ,heart, or body..whichever they choose ,away from you.but equally certainly,it can be used to fire a sense of determination,bring peace,hope ,joy,encourage optimisim..to heal a bruised and battered heart,to renew a sense of purpose..
I personally equate it as good and bad magic.Think Hitler.Think Shakespere.
As one of my favourite author Terry Pratchett sums up in "The Truth"....."put us together the right way,the alphabets seem to say,and we can be anything you want.we could even be something you dont want.we can spell anything.we can certainly spell trouble."
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