So many words have lost meaning over time through over-use or misuse, and phrases become futile. The lines drawn between love and hate become blurred as a result of this misuse of language.

Words have evolved over time in so many ways that when someone says something truly meaningful and memorable it is logical to assume that this rare wording is highly emotive. On discussions of love, hate, friendship and loyalty it is hardly surprising that when words are meaningful, they are likely to evoke emotion in the individual.

In modern society, a lot of the language used colloquially comes as a result of literature or film and television. It makes me wonder how often people (whether consciously or unconsciously) quote these sources in their own lives. Is it easier to quote a poetic declaration from a film than to formulate your own emotional response, and does it weaken the meaning if you are simply stealing the words of someone else?

Often, when watching a romance or friendship based film, there will come that moment with the declaration or the revelation when the cheesiest of lines show themselves. However, when a novel, film or show manages to write something truly touching and engaging, whilst also remaining fresh it can be so good that you want to say it to someone in your own life. Isn’t it a great feeling when you are watching television and a character makes you realise a truth within your own reality? With television, you can either be left cold with an overload of clichés or there are true gems that make the television moment emotional, and also provide you with a personal moment of reflection.

Personally, as much as I am a fan of Grey’s Anatomy most of the time, it is hard to argue that it is not rather on the cliché side of the line. One television program that, despite focusing its efforts on comedy, I find provides spectacular emotional moments to its characters and audiences is The Office. What made me write up this blog in the first place is my deep personal, emotional response to certain quotes that seem to blind side me every single time. 

“Never, ever, ever give up.” - Michael Scott

When Michael says this with such seriousness in his voice, it immediately becomes about more than Jim and Pam to me. It seems to speak to the audience, about whatever they want it to. He is not talking about love, but it is his advice from one friend to another. It’s true and honest, and poetic. He doesn’t need to say to Jim that he is there for him, or whatever other declaration of friendship one might expect. Michael speaks as a friend clearer when he says those words than whenever he is talking about friendship.

On the subject of love, whilst some might take the ‘truly, madly, deeply, insanely, passionately, hopelessly…’ angle, it is again The Office who speak it best. Soulmates is one subject that, to me, is yet to be twisted. Unlike love it cannot be about objects or idols, but it is, if you believe in it, about one thing, one person. Speaking about soulmates, Pam’s words hold so much truth to me personally, that I cannot help but find them far more true, deep and passionate than any direct talk of feelings I have ever heard:

“When you’re a kid, you assume your parents are soulmates. My kids are going to be right about that.” - Pam Halpert

To me, if the language spoken is truly, truly equal to your own feelings then it is no less meaningful if you choose to repeat it to a friend or loved one. Saying what one feels is easier said than done considering that it is almost impossible at any one time to convey all of what one is thinking (despite what Ron Weasley thinks), but saying any small part of that is progress, especially due to the struggle that one has with language. Today, all modern and colloquial terms seem equivocal but we speak in the hope that those hearing us will take from our words what we mean them to.

How many declarations of love have been heard over time from countless films? What is there left to say when it seems that everything has been said before? It does take so much from a film, book or show to be surprising now, after all that has gone before it. I shall leave you with a piece of advice from Arthur Weasley and myself,

“Never trust anything that can think for itself if you can’t see where it keeps its brain.” - Arthur Weasley