Language in Thought and Action: Tips for Effective Communication(Part 5)
Why Do We Often Create Ceremonies through Oaths?
This is the fifth part of ‘Language in Thought and Action’: Tips for Effective Communication. For more tips, please read my other articles.
The society we inhabit is a vast organization formed by the mutual agreement of many individuals: we agree to drive on the left or right side of the road, and others agree to do the same; we agree to deliver certain goods, and others agree to pay upon delivery. Each agreement is a covenant. In early civilizations, **people often resorted to physical violence and threats to ensure compliance with these covenants.** However, it wasn’t long before they discovered that using directive language in speech could also achieve this control effect.
Therefore, in events deemed crucial for the safety of the entire society, the use of directive language becomes particularly potent, ensuring that every individual in society feels a sense of responsibility. **Oaths, as the most typical form of directive speech, often exhibit one or more of the following characteristics:**
1. They are composed of emotionally charged words to leave a profound impression and instill reverence in others. For example, in wedding vows, one might say, “For richer or poorer, in sickness and in health, for better or worse, I will love her.”
2. Appeals to a higher power to bear witness, with implications of willing acceptance of punishment for non-compliance. For instance, in a gambler’s oath, one might say, “May lightning strike me if I do otherwise,” or in a church confession, one might implore God, all to remind us not to take our promises lightly.
3. They are often accompanied by ceremonies or activities to reinforce memory. For example, graduates wear caps and gowns during commencement ceremonies, and everyone stands when a judge enters the courtroom.
4. If the initial oath-taking lacks a special ceremony, we often repeat the oath multiple times to ensure its efficacy.
In summary, the emotional elements in oaths and the accompanying activities serve a common purpose: **to leave a lasting impression in people’s memories.** The solemnity of making commitments, the fear of divine retribution, or the satisfaction of being the center of attention during an oath-taking can all be evoked at any time in one’s life or linger in the mind. It is through these mechanisms that weddings, baptisms, knighthoods, and inaugurations, often become unforgettable events in a person’s life. These activities aim to ensure that the individual who enters into a covenant with society remembers to endeavor to fulfill those promises.
Interestingly, although the ultimate fulfillment of promises is influenced by various factors, most people still harbor a tendency to rely on the ritual itself. This is because we believe in the magic of language; by repeatedly uttering certain words, we believe we can imbue the future with a certain power, guiding it in the direction we desire.
