(Photo Courtesy of Wikimedia Commons)
You hear the saying “actions speak louder than words” commonly in day-to-day life. If someone wants to apologize to someone else, or is trying to accomplish something — as you see in the picture of people marching for a cause — they might remember that their actions get more done than just words.
Origins:
In 1628, English parliamentarian John Pym said “a word spoken in season is like an Apple of Gold set in Pictures of Silver, and actions are more precious than words.” In Thomas Manton’s Book of Sermons from 1693, it says, “…that this may be the real Language of their Hearts and Actions, which speak much louder than Words,” using the “speak louder” wording. These accounts show that while the modern phrasing of this expression is at least 280 years old, the idea behind it goes back much further.
There are, of course, many different ways you could say this same message — “you’re all talk and no action” or “you’re all bark and no bite,” but each way just expresses the same point that it is much more meaningful to do something rather than just talk about doing it.
Hi! My name is Gretchen and I am a senior editor and SEO editor for The Mycenaean. I love to travel and listen to music.