Choice of words

I once read that emotions are not caused by events, but by our perception of events. Along these lines I have been thinking recently about how we react emotionally to our own choice of words.

If we perceive something to be negative and we say it is "horrible" we react differently than if we say that it is "unfortunate". If we think someone is not telling us the truth we react differently if we explain that this is a "lie" rather than saying that this is "not the truth" which does not imply malicious intent.

Similarly, on the positive side, if we say something is "fantastic" we react differently than if we say that it is merely "good". We affect our own consciousness by the words we choose to express ourselves. By using positive words we can begin to view the world around us with a different set of lenses.

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One should make sure that what emanates from the mouth will enlighten others.

(Baal Shem Tov)