"If only words were a kind of fluid that collects in the ears, if only they
turned into the visible chemical equivalent of their true value, an acid, or
something curative – then we might be more careful. Words do collect in us
anyway. They collect in the blood, in the soul, and either transform or poison
people’s lives. Bitter or thoughtless words poured into the ears of the young
have blighted many lives in advance. We all know people whose unhappy lives
twist on a set of words uttered to them on a certain unforgotten day at school,
in childhood, or at university.
We seem to think that words aren’t things. A
bump on the head may pass away, but a cutting remark grows with the mind. But then it is possible that we know all too well the awesome power of words - which is why we use them with such deadly and accurate cruelty."
Ben
Okri, 'Beyond Words' in A Way to be Free