There have been several columns on words, which Catholic Fundamentalists believe to be labels for programs that The Programmer has downloaded or that men have re-programmed from His programs. We are programmed to utilize words to understand His vast creation program in which our individual programs are programmed to operate freely.
The idea of “words” as a type of “mental food” was not explored. Just as good food, in limited quantities, helps the body, good words help the mind and soul. Bad words, like bad food, hurt those who hear and use them. The idyllic “home, home on the range” was described as a place “where seldom is heard a discouraging word”, indicating that some words cause varying degrees of anguish.
When we use discouraging words, we take away the courage that all of us need to best utilize our own programs. When discouraging words are used to describe people who aren’t present, all who hear them lose courage, realizing that their own shortcomings may also be used to make them seem to be less than they are. Those who hear discouraging words automatically realize that when they are out of earshot, discouraging words will be spoken about them, as well. Such words are also discouraging to those who speak them, who, often being avoided because of their depressing descriptions of their neighbors, become more bitter and discouraged than ever.
Words can inspire courage, which is what encouragement is all about. A step to increasing our own courage is to understand that those who prefer discouragement to encouragement are weak and fearful people, so enervated by their own lack of courage that the only way they can feel good about themselves is to make others feel worse.
