If I haven’t made this clear before, I’m a huge advocate for words. Words can be incredibly effective and powerful; not just in the matters of storytelling, but also in everyday interactions. But sometimes words aren’t enough. Sometimes we need something more than that to justify ourselves in who we are and what we are assuring. Sometimes, we need actions.
I’m sure we’ve all heard this phrase in some form or another; about how “actions speak louder than words.” I think it’s the only time and place where words have and don’t have meaning simultaneously. Take for instance as to when one makes a promise. When you say you promise you’re going to do something, your word is taken seriously because it’s a statement of an action that will happen. At the same time, your word won’t be entirely satisfied unless the action is conducted and is succeeded accordingly.
Of course, this doesn’t just apply to promises. This also applies to other case scenarios as well. Take for example the second episode of “Fresh Off the Boat,” where us audience members learn that within the Huang family, if someone ever said “I love you,” that meant that something was up. In their household, they didn’t find it necessary to justify their love for one another through bluntly saying “I love you.” They showed it through their actions; such as Jessica wanting her sons to do well in school so they can have a successful future. I can understand why non-Asian families might have found this quality to be a little odd, for to be told something as powerful as “I love you” can go a long way. But in many Asian families- such as the Huangs- it’s not like that, and it’s kind of interesting as to why they do that.
It’s almost like when dealing with a crime and the perpetrator behind it all has been caught. You can say he or she is guilty as much as you’d like, but unless you have any kind of concrete evidence to support your claim, you don’t have a case.
As much as I am an advocate of words, I’m also a huge advocate of “actions speaking louder than words.” Because it’s true that words can’t satisfy and have meaning to everything in our lives. There are times when our actions will speak just as strongly and will be more worth remembering than anything that was spoken… and in all honesty, in today’s age and society, I don’t think it’s something people really understand.
There have been so many action-less statements and other such words delivered throughout the ages; politicians making promises about fixing something and yet never following through on, supposed lovers who later go and cheat on their significant other, celebrities stating that they stand for one thing but then they do something stupid to screw it all up. The struggle is real in terms of finding people who stick to their words nowadays.
For me personally, I’ve had to deal with and struggle with a bound of meaningless statements from a number of people; and while they may have had perhaps a tinge of meaning at the time of their delivery, without the necessary actions to support their statement otherwise, they’ve otherwise let me down and have lost my trust. Now people might not take that seriously and consider bygones be bygones, but the reality of the matter is that for the person who didn’t keep their word- especially those who have done this on multiple accounts- then they have to understand that it’s going to take a lot of work for them to fully gain my trust back for them.
Actions speak louder than words. This is a timeless, wise phrase. Words can only do so much in expressing what kind of person you are. But sometimes, actions can do just as much… and I’m a strong believer in that.
A Moment’s Worth is now available through the following venues: Amazon, Barnes & Noble, Smashwords, iTunes. Please leave a review if you can, for my goal is to get a total of at least 20 reviews on all venues (so far, I’ve gotten 5 reviews so I’m already a quarter of a way to my goal).
Check out its Goodreads page, which includes two trivia quizzes for all who’ve completed reading it already.
Lola By The Bay 