Words Are Small Hinges

Not long ago, I had a conversation about conversations, specifically about how any particular comment could influence a potentially meaningful decision. Case in point, we were trying to decide whether to buy bananas, and which bunch(es) of bananas to buy, and everyone involved made comments that swayed the decision. Now, it probably wasn't a terribly important decision, but some decisions are, and many of them are determined by the culmination of countless subtle forces, including what we say. They say that the world turns on small hinges, and as far as hinges go, words can be about as small as they come. A comment or suggestion may be quickly forgotten, or it may change the course of a person's life. So be cautious when making comments and suggestions. Someone might actually listen to them, and, more importantly, act on them.