The saying “actions speak louder than words” has been expressed in many cultures and was first referenced in English in the 1700s. It suggests that behavior and character are determined by actions rather than words. It is important to live life in a way that satisfies verbal obligations and feelings. Words can harm or uplift, but they must correspond to the power of morality. In some cases, actions will influence more than words, such as when parents smoke and their children are more likely to become smokers.
The sentiment behind the actions of the saying speak louder than words is expressed in many cultures. There are certainly references to similar sayings in antiquity, but it may have first been expressed in English in the 1700s. The first very similar English reference to it is in the book Will and Doom, written by Gersham Bulkeley in 1692, which speaks of actions as “more meaningful than words”.
Bulkeley’s basic idea, which was not new in expression, is that actions speak louder than words as a major determinant of behavior and character. People can say anything, but when what they say and do are against it, it’s easier to judge by what is done than by what is said. The phrase “saying one thing and doing another” is related to this idea.
Another way to look at this old saying, “actions speak louder than words,” is as a guide on how to live life. Actions should satisfy verbal obligations or feelings and should not contradict them. If a person constantly talks about the plight of the poor but never thinks of donating to charity or in any way mitigating that plight, his words have an empty or empty quality.
Similarly, when people ascribe to certain belief groups, such as various religions, that emphasize humility, but then fail to act humbly, their actions are more meaningful than their professions of faith. The car with the “What Would Jesus Do?” bumper sticker that cuts a person off and drives rashly is sending a dual and contradictory message. St. Francis particularly noticed this when he suggested that people preach the gospel but “use words if necessary.” His idea is that preaching could be active rather than verbal, and that words were secondary to action, and could be expressed in the common phrase, “practice what you preach.”
There is actually a legitimate and ongoing check that actions speak louder than words all the time and in all places. Words are important and people listen to them. They don’t always wait to judge whether the words are backed up by the action, even though that may be the wiser course.
Words certainly have the ability to harm or uplift, and can sometimes speak louder than actions. Even in ancient Greece, Plato was strongly opposed to the Sophist teaching of rhetoric because it could be used in immoral ways to get people to think in unethical ways or draw false conclusions. Some of his contemporaries, such as Isocrates, stressed that the power of language must correspond to the power of morality and that rhetorical language should only be used ethically. Isocrates also embodied actions that speak louder than words in philosophy, and he used his rhetorical prowess a lot to attempt to bring about the unification of Greece by writing frequently to the Greek leaders of the city-states to plead for this.
In a form of journalism, called “gotcha journalism,” writers and journalists try to catch people who contradict themselves with other words or act inconsistently with what they said. Clumsy journalism has definitely gotten easier with the internet, since people can look up anyone’s words and find out if they matched the actions, and it’s becoming more and more common for the average citizen to do this type of search, especially on politicians or well-known personalities in the media. It is not always known whether actions or words become the determining factor in the popularity of celebrities or politicians; despite actions to the contrary, sometimes words win, and people who are not entitled to popularity retain it due to their skill with language or other forms of appeal. It seems that Plato’s preoccupation with rhetoric is occasionally justified.
However, there is certainly evidence that actions speak louder than words in a variety of circumstances. The parent who tells a child not to smoke and then lights a cigarette is unlikely to convince that child of the evils of smoking. This has been proven by statistical information showing that children are more likely to become smokers if their parents smoke. Clearly, in some cases, actions will influence more than words, and while words remain powerful, how people act can mitigate the effects of language or demonstrate its power.
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