--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: The older you get, the more power you…" description: "\"The older you get, the more power you have with language as a writer, which means that you have to be extra responsible for what you say, whether it's ..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/44d/sandra-cisneros-862_extras_the-older-you-get-the-more-power-you-hav_2172635.jpg" --- # The older you get, the more power you have with language… ![“The older you get, the more power you have with language as a writer, which means that you have to be extra responsible for what you say, whether it's in print or in front of a microphone, because those words can go out and kill or go out and plant seeds for peace.” quote by Sandra Cisneros](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/44d/sandra-cisneros-862_extras_the-older-you-get-the-more-power-you-hav_2172635.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/44d/sandra-cisneros-862_extras_the-older-you-get-the-more-power-you-hav_2172635.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/44d/sandra-cisneros-862_extras_the-older-you-get-the-more-power-you-hav_2172635.jpg) > “The older you get, the more power you have with language as a writer, which means that you have to be extra responsible for what you say, whether it's in print or in front of a microphone, because those words can go out and kill or go out and plant seeds for peace.” [Sandra Cisneros](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sandra-cisneros/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Writers wield powerful influence; they must use language responsibly because words can cause harm or foster peace. **In simple terms:** Authors have a duty to consider the impact of their words. Key Takeaway Choose words that build rather than destroy. Themes responsibility language influence Mood thoughtful inspirational Type literary ethical When to use this quote - journalism - public speaking - creative writing Key Concepts ethics communication peacebuilding Questions to Reflect On - How do you ensure your message is received as intended? - What safeguards can writers use? A Different Perspective Powerful words can be misinterpreted despite good intentions. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Language](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/language/) [Peace](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/peace/) [Plant](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/plant/) [Plant Seeds](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/plant-seeds/) [Words](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/words/) [Writing](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/writing/) ## Related quotes > [One belongs to one's language as a writer.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/joseph-brodsky/one-belongs-to-one-s-language-as-a-writer/) [Joseph Brodsky](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/joseph-brodsky/) > [“Every writer dreams of a perfect language. Every writer dreams of a language that obeys, that comes to heel. For some this language is…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/helen-marshall/every-writer-dreams-of-a-perfect-language-every-writer-dreams-of-a/) [Helen Marshall](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/helen-marshall/) > [Language is the writer's only tool - we really don't have anything else - but our language contains within it our entire experience of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alice-mcdermott/language-is-the-writer-s-only-tool-we-really-don-t-have-anything-else/) [Alice McDermott](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alice-mcdermott/) > [Even though language has its richness the relationship between language and the writer is always like a stone and you have to make the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/carmen-boullosa/even-though-language-has-its-richness-the-relationship-between/) [Carmen Boullosa](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/carmen-boullosa/) > [I'm not the most talented writer in the world. I know that. But I also know that I'm disciplined, that I work my butt…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-b-coe/i-m-not-the-most-talented-writer-in-the-world-i-know-that-but-i-also/) [David B. Coe](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-b-coe/) > [“But I gotta tell you, I just think to look across this room and automatically assume that somebody else is less aware than me,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-foster-wallace/but-i-gotta-tell-you-i-just-think-to-look-across-this-room-and/) [David Foster Wallace](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-foster-wallace/) > [...if you are writing without zest, without gusto, without love, without fun, you are only half a writer. It means you are so busy…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ray-bradbury/if-you-are-writing-without-zest-without-gusto-without-love-without/) [Ray Bradbury](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ray-bradbury/) > [Becoming a writer means being creative enough to find the time and the place in your life for writing.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/heather-sellers/becoming-a-writer-means-being-creative-enough-to-find-the-time-and/) [Heather Sellers](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/heather-sellers/) > [Being a real writer means being able to do the work on a bad day.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/norman-mailer/being-a-real-writer-means-being-able-to-do-the-work-on-a-bad-day/) [Norman Mailer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/norman-mailer/) > [Being a writer means crying over the sad parts, even though you already know it’s going to be okay.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/clare-b-dunkle/being-a-writer-means-crying-over-the-sad-parts-even-though-you/) [Clare B. Dunkle](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/clare-b-dunkle/) > [I'm a full-time writer, which means I have the entire day to get my work done. But that can also be bad, because that…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dani-shapiro/i-m-a-full-time-writer-which-means-i-have-the-entire-day-to-get-my/) [Dani Shapiro](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dani-shapiro/) > [“Being a writer means expressing with passion your imagination, nightmares, dreams, experiences and reality through words on paper. You are a successful writer when…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sonnia-kemmer/being-a-writer-means-expressing-with-passion-your-imagination/) [Sonnia Kemmer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sonnia-kemmer/) > [“Striving to convey to this beloved audience of one what was going on around me during those five years, I learned the power of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/scott-russell-sanders/striving-to-convey-to-this-beloved-audience-of-one-what-was-going-on/) [Scott Russell Sanders](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/scott-russell-sanders/) > [Poetry is above all a concentration of the power of language, which is the power of our ultimate relationship to everything in the universe.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/adrienne-rich/poetry-is-above-all-a-concentration-of-the-power-of-language-which-is/) [Adrienne Rich](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/adrienne-rich/) > [“The power of language. Preserving the ephemeral; giving form to dreams, permanence to sparks of sunlight.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/penelope-lively/the-power-of-language-preserving-the-ephemeral-giving-form-to-dreams/) [Penelope Lively](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/penelope-lively/) ## More by Sandra Cisneros > [We tend to think of orphans as being the protagonist of stories we read when we're kids, and yet here you are: you're an…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sandra-cisneros/we-tend-to-think-of-orphans-as-being-the-protagonist-of-stories-we/) [Sandra Cisneros](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sandra-cisneros/) > [I'm learning a lot by reading teachers like Thich Nhat Hanh, Pema Chodron. They teach me because I feel like I have a responsibility…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sandra-cisneros/i-m-learning-a-lot-by-reading-teachers-like-thich-nhat-hanh-pema/) [Sandra Cisneros](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sandra-cisneros/) > [I never know what something is going to be until it emerges from the womb and you see the crown of its head and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sandra-cisneros/i-never-know-what-something-is-going-to-be-until-it-emerges-from-the/) [Sandra Cisneros](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sandra-cisneros/) > [Believe it or not, Mexican cooking, for those of you who have not gone farther south than Taco Bell, uses a lot of vegetables.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sandra-cisneros/believe-it-or-not-mexican-cooking-for-those-of-you-who-have-not-gone/) [Sandra Cisneros](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sandra-cisneros/) > [I feel that I can teach my listener about a new word they can use too.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sandra-cisneros/i-feel-that-i-can-teach-my-listener-about-a-new-word-they-can-use-too/) [Sandra Cisneros](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sandra-cisneros/) > [Now I feel life is really short and I have to take care of things.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sandra-cisneros/now-i-feel-life-is-really-short-and-i-have-to-take-care-of-things/) [Sandra Cisneros](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sandra-cisneros/) > [To this day, on my cheat days from my diet, which are New Year's Eve and my birthday, I buy luxury foods that are…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sandra-cisneros/to-this-day-on-my-cheat-days-from-my-diet-which-are-new-year-s-eve/) [Sandra Cisneros](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sandra-cisneros/) > [You can never have too much sky . You can fall asleep and wake up drunk on sky, and sky can keep you safe…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sandra-cisneros/you-can-never-have-too-much-sky-you-can-fall-asleep-and-wake-up-drunk/) [Sandra Cisneros](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sandra-cisneros/) > [ \[Jorge Luis Borges\] had short stories, and I was trying to learn how to write short stories, and then he had these things in… ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sandra-cisneros/jorge-luis-borges-had-short-stories-and-i-was-trying-to-learn-how-to/) [Sandra Cisneros](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sandra-cisneros/) > [I want to thank you, especially those people who are agnostic or atheist. I don't mean any offense by the things I said of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sandra-cisneros/i-want-to-thank-you-especially-those-people-who-are-agnostic-or/) [Sandra Cisneros](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sandra-cisneros/) > [ We changed it to emocionó, the way you say in Spanish, "to emotion me" \[to be moved\]. That, as opposed to "haunt." We wanted… ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sandra-cisneros/we-changed-it-to-emocion-the-way-you-say-in-spanish-to-emotion-me-to/) [Sandra Cisneros](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sandra-cisneros/) > [When I'm starting to feel, "How many more people are there?" I go slower. I ask questions, and that person engaging with me gives…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sandra-cisneros/when-i-m-starting-to-feel-how-many-more-people-are-there-i-go-slower/) [Sandra Cisneros](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sandra-cisneros/) > [I've put up with too much, too long, and now I'm just too intelligent, too powerful, too beautiful, too sure of who I am…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sandra-cisneros/i-ve-put-up-with-too-much-too-long-and-now-i-m-just-too-intelligent/) [Sandra Cisneros](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sandra-cisneros/) > [If we got an educational program going, we could tell people, "Instead of butter, use avocado." That's something we eat, it has the good…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sandra-cisneros/if-we-got-an-educational-program-going-we-could-tell-people-instead/) [Sandra Cisneros](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sandra-cisneros/) > [I always have to have sweet and salty. I know some of you are going to say, "Oh, I tried dates. I hate them."…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sandra-cisneros/i-always-have-to-have-sweet-and-salty-i-know-some-of-you-are-going-to/) [Sandra Cisneros](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sandra-cisneros/) [Explore all 347 Sandra Cisneros quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sandra-cisneros/) ## More Extras quotes > [The term "black metal" has become a lot looser, or can include a larger range of sounds and extra-musical aesthetics, not just Satan and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/colin-marston/the-term-black-metal-has-become-a-lot-looser-or-can-include-a-larger/) [Colin Marston](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/colin-marston/) > [We've all seen talented young players who get to a certain level but there comes a point where that talent will only take you…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/warren-gatland/we-ve-all-seen-talented-young-players-who-get-to-a-certain-level-but/) [Warren Gatland](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/warren-gatland/) > [The things that don't happen to us that we'll never know didn't happen to us. The nonstories. The extra minute to find the briefcase…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anita-shreve/the-things-that-don-t-happen-to-us-that-we-ll-never-know-didn-t/) [Anita Shreve](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anita-shreve/) > [Sometimes a minute is really the difference between success and failure. There are times when you finish with ten seconds left, and one extra…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michael-symon/sometimes-a-minute-is-really-the-difference-between-success-and/) [Michael Symon](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michael-symon/) > [I think being a Texan - we sort of have that extra fire in us as a breed. I just felt like from day…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/miranda-lambert/i-think-being-a-texan-we-sort-of-have-that-extra-fire-in-us-as-a/) [Miranda Lambert](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/miranda-lambert/) > [Extra interest signifies extra risk.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/duke-of-wellington/extra-interest-signifies-extra-risk/) [Duke of Wellington](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/duke-of-wellington/) > [Virtually every major technological advance in the history of the human species- back to the invention of stone tools and the domestication of fire…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/daniel-dennett/virtually-every-major-technological-advance-in-the-history-of-the/) [Daniel Dennett](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/daniel-dennett/) > [It's very intense to be in front of a live audience. It's just an amazing experience. It's dangerous. Everything out there is heightened. The…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/steven-wright/it-s-very-intense-to-be-in-front-of-a-live-audience-it-s-just-an/) [Steven Wright](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/steven-wright/) > [Back home I had always been comfortable around people. I was the troublemaker, always being funny - that's just who I am. I'm Latina;…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/joan-smalls/back-home-i-had-always-been-comfortable-around-people-i-was-the/) [Joan Smalls](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/joan-smalls/) > [The spirit in the body is like wine in a glass; when it spills, it seeps into air and earth and light….It’s a mistake…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anne-michaels/the-spirit-in-the-body-is-like-wine-in-a-glass-when-it-spills-it/) [Anne Michaels](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anne-michaels/) > [The only siblings I have are half-siblings. My nuclear family would have been an extra-suffocating threesome. Instead, I have an interesting brother and sister,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jane-smiley/the-only-siblings-i-have-are-half-siblings-my-nuclear-family-would/) [Jane Smiley](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jane-smiley/) > [I think the greatest thing about DVD is the quality of sound and picture; the real estate to put more extras on; and, my…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/steven-spielberg/i-think-the-greatest-thing-about-dvd-is-the-quality-of-sound-and/) [Steven Spielberg](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/steven-spielberg/) > [I always take working out seriously, but before a shoot I do extra sit ups and squats. I also eat more vegetables and drink…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lily-aldridge/i-always-take-working-out-seriously-but-before-a-shoot-i-do-extra-sit/) [Lily Aldridge](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lily-aldridge/) > [The White House approved an exemption in Obamacare coverage for Congress and members of their staff. Members complained that the Affordable Care Act will…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jay-leno/the-white-house-approved-an-exemption-in-obamacare-coverage-for/) [Jay Leno](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jay-leno/) > [But just maybe sometimes being even more patient. Even though I thought I did that much better this year, and sometimes, you know, make…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/daniela-hantuchova/but-just-maybe-sometimes-being-even-more-patient-even-though-i/) [Daniela Hantuchova](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/daniela-hantuchova/) Browse all 1,197 Extras quotes ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "The older you get, the more power you have with language as a writer, which means that you have to be extra responsible for what you say, whether it's in print or in front of a microphone, because those words can go out and kill or go out and plant seeds for peace.", "creator": { "@type": "Person", "name": "Sandra Cisneros" }, "isPartOf": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website" }, "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sandra-cisneros/the-older-you-get-the-more-power-you-have-with-language-as-a-writer/", "about": { "@type": "Thing", "name": "Extras" }, "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sandra-cisneros/the-older-you-get-the-more-power-you-have-with-language-as-a-writer/#quotation", "image": { "@type": "ImageObject", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/44d/sandra-cisneros-862_extras_the-older-you-get-the-more-power-you-hav_2172635.jpg", "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/44d/sandra-cisneros-862_extras_the-older-you-get-the-more-power-you-hav_2172635.jpg", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/44d/sandra-cisneros-862_extras_the-older-you-get-the-more-power-you-hav_2172635.jpg", "width": 1080, "height": 1080, "caption": "“The older you get, the more power you have with language as a writer, which means that you have to be extra…” — Sandra Cisneros", "creditText": "SMS4Smile Quotes", "creator": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization" } } }, { "@type": "BreadcrumbList", "itemListElement": [ { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 1, "name": "Home", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 2, "name": "Quotes", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 3, "name": "Sandra Cisneros", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sandra-cisneros/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 4, "name": "The older you get, the more...", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sandra-cisneros/the-older-you-get-the-more-power-you-have-with-language-as-a-writer/" } ], "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sandra-cisneros/the-older-you-get-the-more-power-you-have-with-language-as-a-writer/#breadcrumb" }, { "@type": "WebSite", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website", "name": "SMS4Smile Quotes", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/", "publisher": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization" } }, { "@type": "Organization", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization", "name": "SMS4Smile Quotes", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/", "logo": { "@type": "ImageObject", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/wp-content/themes/sq/assets/icons/icon-512.png", "width": 512, "height": 512 } } ] } ```