distance makes the heart grow fonder…

Simple sayings lead us in the thought patterns of those who came before us. These symbolic colloquialisms amass a large part of our daily vocabulary and shape how we see our world. Why do we use them?

We hear them all around us, used by people each and every day. Some of them are harmless, “Happy as a clam at high tide.” But others carry a message, “A penny saved is a penny earned, ” “He who hath no sins may cast the first stone,” “Distance makes the heart grow fonder.” With them comes a judgement and a message.

These parts of our language sometimes serve as propaganda to drown our dissent or ask us to conform to a way of life or thinking. With repetition these sayings become ingrained in our subconscious minds and color the way we think about the world and those around us.

There is no judgement here that all of our sayings are out to brainwash us, but in the age of mass marketing and advertising it’s not surprising most people don’t notices these subtle influencers. Each day we are inundated with messages about how we should look and what we should eat. These messages subtly help create what we value and how we live our lives.

Most of these messages are simply designed to sell products but they carry unknowingly a greater message of imperfection. Without the goods we are lesser people. Until we have their products we are incomplete. Again, this isn’t to say all commercials are bad, but what messages are you dialing into – what are you feeding your brain?

Look more closely at what you’re being sold and why. Listen more carefully to the messages that bombard you each day, you might be surprised what they’re telling you.