This quote asserts that language is never neutral, but always carries significant weight and consequence. It highlights the immense power of words to create understanding and unity, or conversely, to cause division and destruction, underscoring our responsibility in communication.
Quote by Carmen Naranjo: “Words are not innocent; they carry worlds, build bridges or sever connections.”
Words are not innocent; they carry worlds, build bridges or sever connections.
Insight
Historical Context
As a writer and diplomat, Naranjo was acutely aware of the power of language in both personal and political spheres, especially in a continent often marked by conflict and the struggle for clear communication.
About the Author
Costa Rican poet, novelist, and government minister, one of the most celebrated writers in Central American literary history. Her fiction and poetry exposed social inequality, political corruption, and the inner lives of women in mid-twentieth-century Central America.
View all quotes by Carmen Naranjo