Action Quote by Mary Butts
“I cannot remember a time when I was not enraptured or tortured by words. Always there have been words which, sometimes for their sound alone, sometimes for their sound and sense, I would not use. From a loathing of their grossness or sickliness, their weight or want of weight. Their inexactitude, their feeling of acidity or insipidity. Their action, not only on the intelligence but on the nerves, was instant.”
About This Quote
Source Novel: The Death of the Heart, 1937
Words possess a powerful, sometimes contradictory, impact on mind and emotions, evoking both beauty and discomfort.
In simple terms: Words can be beautiful or painful.
Key Takeaway
Choose words with awareness of their effect.
Themes
language
emotion
artistry
Mood
contemplative
melancholic
Type
literary
philosophical
When to use this quote
- writing
- public speaking
- therapy
- education
Key Concepts
aesthetics
psychology
literary criticism
Questions to Reflect On
- How do you decide which words to use?
- When can restraint be more powerful than expression?
A Different Perspective
Overanalysis of words can hinder spontaneous expression.
![“When I go into the studio - it [words] has to sound the way I heard it in my head. So that's probably one of the biggest things that separates me when I'm working in the studio - just how I hear certain things.” quote by Kendrick Lamar](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/img-quotes/023/kendrick-lamar-1241_certain_when-i-go-into-the-studio-it-words-has-t_2109087.jpg)
