“You’re in Good Hands.”
“The Ultimate Driving Machine.”
“Where’s the Beef?”
“Just do it.”
If you’re an American born in the latter half of the twentieth century, you know these slogans well. Millions of dollars have been invested to make sure of it. Why? Because the most sophisticated consumer marketing companies in the world understand the power of a well-worded turn of phrase. Today, we’re increasingly witnessing the manipulation of words for ends more consequential—and nefarious. We live in a dangerous moment.
The proverb says, “Death and life are in the power of the tongue.” Words change the world because they change how we think. They are, in fact, how we think. We reason in words, and there can be no inner dialogue, no internal debate, without them. That’s why freedom of speech is so vital; curtail the words we use, and you curtail the very thoughts…
