Ken Kurson is someone whose experience in the media industry over the years has led to many revelations for himself personally about the power of language. We often times hear the phrase and expression that “music is the language of the soul.” But what exactly is language and how would we go about defining it properly? The reality is that this is probably more of a philosophical question than anything else. The consequences language can have on people’s behaviors and on motivating and encouraging their conduct is extraordinary.
According to Ken Kurson, language can be a very powerful weapon in inducing people to act or comport themselves in a certain manner. This is a reality that’s not lost on those that work in the communications industry. The communications industry more broadly doesn’t just include those working in public and media relations agencies. It also encompasses and includes the journalism industries and of course the publishing industries.
But what is language at its core? And what are words and its cohesive abilities. Language is any way of expressing oneself – however that may be. It is indeed a mode of communication. The art of persuasion is something that gets discussed from time to time, but has never truly been recognized and understood effectively enough. At the point that it is understood and embraced, there will be a broader consensus established concerning how language can be used as a ploy and strategic mechanism for goodness.
But of course, just like anything else there can be destructive elements to certain types of language, however that may be colored. Language doesn’t have to employed in ways that we think of traditionally. Many will consider language in the context of writing or even oral communication – be it radio, journalism or any form of broadcast media.
But there’s also behavior that can connote language in a way that it transmits a message – in some cases more powerfully and effectively, than through writing or a vis a vis broadcast means. Let’s analyze some of these behavioral characteristics. For instance, there are constructive activities in which language can be employed to help with patient care in healthcare contexts.
The same can be said in medical contexts. Language can also be employed for therapeutic purposes and achieving related ends. For example, reading to the elderly can have a profoundly positive effect on enhancing their cognitive abilities. And the same can be true of their receptive abilities.