The Heart Speaks by Oak R.W.

The Decline of Silver Speech

Rumors, mostly spells of silliness, have been spreading that in the near future, we'll be talking in emoticons, or something of relatively equivalent slang. While the decline of speech in itself may be a laughable falsehood, we're entering an age where our voices matter the least. As far as anyone should be concerned it's about the same thing.

Emoticons are about as limiting as it gets. Information has been given to us on silver platters whether we choose to believe each piece or not, and an increasing majority of our populace is solely relying on cherry-picked factoids and cultural nuances from some such feasts. "A man is but the product of his thoughts. What he thinks, he becomes," said Mahatma Gandhi. When others in your social web invade your thoughts through subtle preferences, political opinions, or fashion, it is in turn, natural to believe them if they're a big part of your life. This shouldn't be a major obstacle at all. Wouldn't it be obvious that their insights would prove beneficial? Yet the truth is, that only a few people go so far to develop charisma on their own, which is the foundation for why people are believable, and they become the arbiters of our generation. The laity are often left to latch onto these influential figures, and through projecting their own ideals upon them, as symbols, rather than people, they become more susceptible to the crisis we're facing now; that people are able less and less to develop skills to define their own thoughts.

One of our greatest impediments as a culture, is the culture itself. We, as Americans, like to stand up for desperate people, integrate millions of refugees, become more accepting, and widen our expansive knowledge of cultures other than ours. The problem lies in that we pick some of the exact wrong times to be culturists. Literature may often be taught in schools, but reading has evolved to be a "pleasure read," rather than something to teach us about ourselves, and expand our oh-so important philosophies. The president of The Modern Language Association once spoke on his deplore of the "disappearance of literature itself from the... curriculum," and criticized "fragmented, jargonized subjects" that have emerged in the stead of other critical texts. While we're focused on feminist arguments causing an uproar, and an increasing spread of controversial culture, we as a country are falling apart. We may be as socially close as ever, but with all of these opinions, you'd think we would have banded together an made an ultimate doctrine. No. When all these opinions are bunched up on the same island, it becomes a vain medley to become the superior. "Some people will say these are little things; they are not; they are of bad example. They tend to spread the baneful notion that there is no such thing as a high, correct standard in intellectual matters." - Matthew Arnold 1865. We as a nation need to band together to realize a unified acumen in our cultural affairs. Charisma is brought back by this. Without research into each subject spoken of, the charisma of such different groups can misguide thousands, or dilute their resolution and determination for their country.

In reflection, our the root of our problems is that of a basis of the public lacking what would be called a "silver tongue." This means more to me than its plain definition. "Emotions have the capacity to restrict your access to your memories," said John Nash, author of "The Psychology in a Beautiful Mind," so the ability to be impartial, to go beyond eloquence in just words, to speak freely, to seek the betterment of your human species, and to remember the benevolence that could define you as yourself, without awkward lapses in rational speech that we all experience. The best form of learning is that where your myths are shattered. The feeling of your eyes opening is immense, and speaks to you determination. Perhaps I've gone beyond just the tongue, but to the greater ideal of our passive personas.

Silver is the ultimate self-providence, but that's how demons see it as well. I wish you all luck in the new age. Don't let your voice be extinguished. Charisma is not won overnight, but I imagine a future where these kind of people will become commonplace, and it is one lead by concretion, and our minds that will forever be evolving.