In On Creativity, David Bohm observes, “It seems ironical that man’s thought and language, whose deep aim is to make possible rational communication and constructive action, have been a principal factor making for the indefinite continuation of irrational hatred and destructive violence” (85).
The words we use are a reflection of how we think, so a history of violence frequently begins with language. On the world stage, wars of words lead to wars of weapons and bloodshed. In the workplace, e-mail wars often occur not by deliberate intent but by the writer’s limitations with language. At home and among friends, arguments often result from multiple meanings of unintended connotations words and phrases.
Positive language that builds as opposed to negative language that destroys emerges from creative reflection and careful communication. Countless books, beginning with Bohm’s, focus on this subject.
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