The Power of the Word
Why be articulate? Because the alternative is to be powerless and boring. If you are unable to express what you believe, you can’t participate in the discernment of truth. If you're inarticulate, you can’t add your voice to the conversation.
Why be articulate? Because you can wield the power of the word. You can inspire a stranger, negotiate a higher salary, calm a patient in the ER, or manage a team of colleagues. If you're articulate, you can lead the conversation.
If you can’t clearly express your ideas in words, how is that different from having no ideas at all?
In our culture, speech is supreme. Infrastructure may be built by hands, but culture is built by tongues. Words are powerful, and those who best express themselves are those who change culture. As Steve Jobs famously said, the most powerful person in the world is the storyteller.
The Blue Planet narrator David Attenborough is one such storyteller. He is not only a great narrator (with a velvety voice) but also writes his own scripts. Attenborough’s words live in our minds long after the episode is over. He is articulate. He is a storyteller. He wields words, which give him power.
If intelligence means having great ideas, then being articulate means having the skill to share ideas in clear and compelling ways. The more articulate you are, the more truth you can spread. Being a brilliant communicator is the key to making yourself heard and to making an impact on the world.
So, how do you become more articulate?
Write. Write often, even if you don’t intend to share it. Writing organizes your mind better than any other activity. If you can express truth and describe it so that others can participate in its revelation, you will change the cultural conversation.
