"As long as a word remains unspoken, you are its master; once you utter it, you are its slave"
- Solomon Ibn Gabriol
About this Quote
This quote by Solomon Ibn Gabriol highlights the power of words and the significance of choosing them sensibly. It recommends that when a word is kept unspoken, it is under our control and we have the power to decide whether to use it. However, once we speak it out loud, we become oppressed by its effects. This can be interpreted as a warning to be mindful of our words and to believe before we speak, as when they are spoken, we can no longer take them back. It also emphasizes the idea that words have the power to shape our reality and can have an enduring effect on ourselves and others. For that reason, it is essential to utilize our words thoroughly and responsibly.
"The whole commerce between master and slave is a perpetual exercise of the most boisterous passions, the most unremitting despotism on the one part, and degrading submissions on the other. Our children see this, and learn to imitate it"