Is the World Made of Words, Actually?

“People who would not believe a High Priest if he said the sky was blue, and was able to produce signed affidavits to this effect from his white-haired old mother and three Vestal virgins, would trust just about anything whispered darkly behind their hand by a complete stranger in a pub.” - Terry Pratchett, Maskerade 

As rioters poured into the US Capitol building yesterday; as violence erupted and four people died, I couldn’t pull myself away from the news.

The rioters’ goal was to halt the transfer of power to a democratically-elected President, because they didn’t like the outcome of the election and believed, despite evidence to the contrary, that the election was invalid. 

And why did they believe that? Because powerful people went on TV and told them not to trust their neighbours. Then that mistrust spread to online message boards and was absorbed by frightened people looking for certainty in uncertain times.

Words did this.

Words spoken by a skilled salesman persuaded a mob of people to attempt an insurrection. To throw away centuries of democratic norms and plunge their country into crisis. Most people in that crowd genuinely believed that they were “the good guys.” Their emotions and belief systems were weaponized against them, and against their country.

It was a stark reminder that societies are made of words. They only work as long as enough people believe in the way things are done and agree to keep doing them that way. When people stop believing, or start believing in something else, the whole thing crumbles.

I chose to work in the field of public speaking and communications because words shape the world we live in. Words can inspire, connect and create. They can speak truth to power. I want to put those tools in the hands of people who are doing great work, so that they can build something beautiful.

But every day I have to face the fact that those same tools can be used to destroy. There’s a fine line between persuasion and manipulation, and the very skills I teach can be used for either one. 

That’s why every Stage Light course includes a conversation about the ethics of persuasion. When you learn to speak persuasively by tapping into an audience’s emotional core, that comes with a responsibility to think carefully about your intentions and the impact that your words could have.

And it’s why I try to put these tools in the hands of people who will use them in the service of good. They will always be used by those who seek even more power for themselves. In order to keep the balance, we need to equip those who will use them to end injustice and build stronger communities. We need to show people how it all works, so that they’re less susceptible to being manipulated.

We need to take words seriously.

I wasn’t planning to write about politics today. I was going to talk about storytelling, and how to bring your ideas to life with vivid imagery. 

This just feels too important to ignore.

If you agree, then I invite you to join the conversation in the Stage Light Communications Community Facebook group. How do we use our voices to combat misinformation and disinformation? What messages do you think are worth spreading? Let us know!