Shellys: In context of emotion and politics, words and language matter
On August 1, 2023, former President Donald Trump was criminally indicted for the third time in six months. Referring to the indictment, Dan Rather recently wrote: “…these 45 pages comprise one of the most consequential pieces of writing in American history. It does not have the earth-shattering rhetoric of our Declaration of Independence, the poetry of Lincoln’s ‘Gettysburg Address’ or the urgent morality of Dr. Martin Luther King’s ‘Letter from Birmingham Jail.’ But it is a clear statement at one of the most pivotal intersections in our nation’s narrative: that autocracy and the fomenting of political violence to subvert the peaceful transfer of presidential power is not only anathema to our values – it is illegal.” One observer lamented, “This is not normal, but this is our life now.”
Words are being hurled at us from all directions, words that have great power to inspire or incite, heal or destroy, share facts or disinformation. When you read this tweet, “If you go after me, I’m coming after you,” what do you hear? By studying linguistics, we learn of the potential power of words in communication. Words become more than just words.
Lora Boroditsky is one such researcher. She asks, “How do words we use influence the way we think?” Drew Westin and Frank Luntz ask, “Are we choosing our views OR is our language choosing them for us?” They go on, “Democracy depends on our ability to choose our political views. But the language we use to talk about political issues is deliberately designed to be divisive.” They speak of language being “engineered,” and Boroditsky explains that languages are “one of the oldest technologies we have.”
How then does the manner in which words are framed affect our thinking? The way in which an issue or question is presented can “significantly impact how people make decisions.” Politically charged words are deliberately used to influence and shape our thoughts. Fox News understands this. Their political programming is carefully crafted with messaging and personnel.
Research on words and language informs us that the forces of media, marketing, and political consulting can only be challenged and held accountable by “thinking rationally and evaluating options based on factual data.” In response to conservative media, other cable news programming offers counterarguments, which they present as fact-based. There are significant numbers of Maga voters, who will never believe that the 2020 election was not stolen, no matter what MSNBC reports. When rally messages are framed within the context of a “witch hunt” or a “persecution,” the words will simply reinforce the emotions and beliefs already held, which makes further research compelling and necessary.
Researchers have also found that we tend to give more weight to negative messages than positive. Negativity bias is widespread, because negative messages “capture more attention, elicit stronger emotions and are more memorable.” Emotionally charged words like “lock her up” and “they will come after you” or “the deep state” will always find receptive ears.
Do liberals and conservatives even speak the same language? Joanna Sterling and her team studied this question. When looking at values, researchers tell us that conservative words are more likely to reflect “power, security, tradition and achievement,” as well as, “certainty, order, and structure.” Conservatives are more likely to send messages reflecting a resistance to change with references to the past. They tend to use more negatively loaded emotional words and send out more tweets using anger-related language. Liberals are found to show more moral outrage and anger at injustice, and are more focused on positive outcomes, thus using more positive emotional words. Listen to see if there is truly a difference in their language. Research also reveals human tendencies toward seeking social belonging and a “shared sense of reality with like- minded individuals,” which may help us understand the strong pull of both conservative and progressive political movements.
The times in which we live are not for the faint-of-heart. In the months ahead we will continue to be bombarded with words, requiring that we sharpen our understanding of language. Personal vocabulary must be carefully weighed and evaluated before words are spoken or written. Critical analysis is more likely if several sources of information are considered. Explain the difference between Fox News and MSNBC.
In his 1967 first inaugural address, Ronald Reagan told his listeners that freedom “is not ours by way of inheritance; it must be fought for and defended constantly by each generation.” That is a truthful and wise message for the times in which we live. Words matter. How we respond to them, matters.
Walter Shelly retired after 40 years as a professor of political science at West Texas A&M University. Linda Shelly retired after 33 years of teaching sociology at West Texas A&M University and Amarillo College.
This article originally appeared on Amarillo Globe-News: Shellys commentary: Words and language matter
