WORDS, WHEN PROPERLY USED

“Words are the fingers that mold the minds of men.”

WORDS, WHEN PROPERLY USED

“Words are the fingers that mold the minds of men.” –

CHARLES CURTMAN Nov 29,2025

Words, when properly used, inform, influence and inspire in powerfully positive ways, producing positive outcomes. When wrongly used, a negative outcome can be expected. Mark Twain wrote, “The difference between the right word and the almost right word is the difference between lightening and the lightening bug.”

It has been rightly said, “Words are the fingers that mold the minds of men.” People have muddled their own minds through the misguided use of their own mouths. Many words are commonly and egregiously misused today. People shouldn’t dismiss lightly the negative or positive impact that speech, spoken or heard, has on the way they and others think. Everyone should learn, as early as possible to be discriminating relative to the words they use and hear used.

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Proverbs. 28:21 says, “ Death and life are in the power of the tongue: and they that love it shall eat the fruit thereof.” It’s past time to bring meaning, dignity and real power back to the English language.

It is far more important than most people realize, that people and things be called by their right names; that the right words are used when describing them. Americans have tolerated and continue to tolerate the wrong use of words to their own hurt.

The late, great historian Paul Johnson warned that, “A man who deliberately inflicts violence on the language will almost certainly inflict violence on human beings if he acquires the power.” There are many men and women in government, media and other places of power today who deliberately “inflict violence” by their misuse of language. Let’s do the best we can to not be guilty of this ourselves.