Both the written word and the spoken word, in their many forms, are powerful in our world. Which do you feel has more influence?
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The written word.
Why is this so? Because man is generally more of a visual thinker rather than an auditory thinker, i.e., more of the knowledge his brain stores come from what his eyes have perceived. That's why it is usually easier for us to remember what we have seen rather than what we have heard. Thus, we say "To see is to believe" rather than "To hear is to believe".
A lot of written works have already brought about change in our world. One great example, as MB had already said, is the Bible. To cite another one: the 2 novels written by the Philippines' national hero (Jose Rizal) influenced a national revolution which resulted to the end of more than 3 centuries of Spanish rule in our country. And yes, great speakers may move people with their speeches, but it is only in their written form that they can draw much influence. Even in court, it is the written word that holds more power. Lawsuits are won with written words. Spoken words matter only if there is a court reporter to make a written record of what was said.
As one quotation goes -- "Spoken words fly away, written words remain."
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 from 4 months ago
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All Answers
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i'm a counselor i can't possibly write all i say. spoken
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from 4 months ago
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Definitely the spoken word and especially if you look them in the eye, which I always do, it always has far more impact - when someone doesn't, you should wonder why.
I much prefer to speak to someone, I have no trouble at all in getting my point across!! Also, when speaking to someone there is body language, the way they come across to you, you can tell more about the person, whether they come across as weak, strong, sincere, etc., whereas all this can be cleverly masked and hidden in the written word, should the writer want to do this.
Nevertheless, the written word can tell a lot about the writer, the spelling for example, and the Grammar! Whether they wrote in a forward slant or backward slant, can also reveal a lot to the recipient. Of course these days, a handwritten letter is a thing of the past, unless its from a friend or relative.
I'm extremely interested in Graphology but of course this takes much studying; a Graphologist would be able to tell much more about the written word than he could by just seeing the person, as no matter how anyone tries to disguise their handwriting, they can't.
A classic example of low impact in the written word, is the CV. The recipient doesn't even have to read it and can just bin it!
I would like to have been a Forensic Graphologist!!
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from 4 months ago
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from 4 months ago
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The written word! The bible changed the world, yet we have never heard the writers speak a single word. Classic books and poetry have survived and flourished for generations, yet we've never heard the authors speak a single word. Anyone can make a speech - very few speeches change the world until they're put in writing. Martin Luther King Jr.'s 'I have a dream...' speech is just one example.
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from 4 months ago
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from 4 months ago
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Go back to last june 19 th and i would of said i don't know but now i know the answer a spoken word is never forgotten but if it written down you could hold it dear forever and ever.r.i.p dad
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I used to believe the written word held more power ("the pen is mightier than the sword").
But with the frightening upswing in the number of people deliberately avoiding literacy, I am forced to reconsider.
You can show someone written proof of something, then someone walks in, spouts a few hollow, meaningless slogans (like "death panels" for instance) and change everyone's mind in two seconds.
It's depressing, really.
Source Bush, Cheney, Palin
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from 4 months ago
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I would have to say the spoken word. Although the written word, for agreements that you sign would hold up better in court than written words would, I can read something. If I don't like what I am reading, then I can discard it but if someone speaks to me, especially if it is something that I hold dear to my heart, then it either means more to me than any paper and pen can or it can crush me far worse than anything that someone has written about me. I am sure the tone of someones voice is more effective along with the spoken words
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from 4 months ago
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They're both powerful in different ways. A great speaker can fire up a huge arena or stadium filled with people, and certain dynamics the speaker brings won't be present in a printed text of his or her remarks, and may not even show through in a recording.
But the written word is easier to distribute, on-line or on the street, and so may be easier to spread and reach more people.
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from 4 months ago
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The spoken for the person who speaks may be the one you love and their words may hurt more than when written
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The written word
I answered you an hour ago but because you werent in the car with me you never heard.
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from 4 months ago
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Answered Question
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Questions asked by Kyle88
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adw61
Level 17 Middle School
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