The Magic Words

sigmund freud on the power of language.Sigmund Freud reviews and edits his manuscript for Moses and Monotheism, published in 1939. Photo: by Library of Congress/Corbis/VCG via Getty Images.

Words were originally magic and to this day words have retained much of their magical power. By words one person can make another blissfully happy or drive him to despair, by words the teacher conveys his knowledge to his pupils, by words the orator carries his audience with him and determines their judgements and decisions. Words provoke affects and are in general the means of mutual influence among men. Thus we shall not depreciate the use of words….

— Sigmund Freud, Introductory Lectures on Psycho-Analysis