Words are magic.
When you say “pass the salt”, you set in motion a series of events that results in a salt shaker being placed in your hand. When you give a particularly good compliment, the uplifting power of it can endure for years.
Drawing on the system used in Magic: The Gathering, I have codified the five kinds of verbal magic.
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White
Magic that heals, sustains, or in some way increases the joy of others.
Example: compliments
Black
Magic that degrades, hurts, or in some way increases the misery of others.
Example: insults
Blue
Magic that is designed to achieve the goals of the user.
Example: requests, orders, demands
Red
Magic that expresses emotion in an unbridled or reflexive way.
Example: yelling, squealing, whooping with joy
Green
Magic that expresses creativity.
Example: stories, songs, jokes
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Note that many spells have multiple colours: polite requests are blue-white, road rage is red-black.
This codification allows us to talk about words with increased precision, and compels us to examine the words we use with greater rigour.
Some general rules:
- Maximise white spells.
- Minimise black spells.
- Be careful with red spells.
- When using blue spells, mix in some white. If possible, give the white precedence over the blue.
- Don’t use green magic as camouflage for black spells.
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