The power of words
How language affects our existence
The Obama myth
Barack Obama is one of the great speakers of our times. The former president of the United States of America managed to convince and inspire millions of people with his words. So what can we learn from the man and his powerful words?
The most efficient form of discourse is repetition. Plus: Metaphorical descriptions and history-charged anecdotes encourage our brains to “think along”. They have the power to captivate an audience and make them hang on a speaker’s (or writer’s) every word.
For instance, during the economic crisis, Barack Obama never actually used the word “economic crisis” in his speeches. Instead, he talked about hardship, shortage of money, desolate houses, poverty and employment offices. Basically, he used associations and catchwords that all described the word “economic crisis”. This allowed him to plant images in the brains of his audience, to make them think about desperate people looking for work and a place to stay. As you can see, Barack Obama is a real wordsmith …
Punctuation marks
Punctuation marks are valuable linguistic tools that can help underline and clarify a message. They ensure that a sentence is meaningful and understood by the reader the way it was intended. After all, you can’t switch off “hearing” when reading and are still guided by concepts like intonation and rhythm.
Note to all writers: Keep in mind intonation and sonority when writing! Use punctuation marks to accentuate your message.