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Careful the spell you cast, not just on children. Sometimes the spell may last Past what you can see And turn against you... Careful the tale you tell. That is the spell.
Stephen Sondheim
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Interpretation

What this quote means

Be mindful of the words and influences you share, as they can have lasting effects beyond your immediate perception.

This quote by Stephen Sondheim emphasizes the importance of the narratives we create and the impact of our words, particularly on impressionable minds. It serves as a reminder that what we communicate can resonate beyond our control, potentially shaping the thoughts, beliefs, and behaviors of others in unforeseen ways, making it crucial to approach storytelling and expression with care and responsibility.

Themes

WordsInfluenceStorytellingImpactResponsibility

In practice

Example use cases

In a workshop about effective communication, one might reference this quote to highlight the importance of thoughtful language.

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Quote by Stephen Sondheim | QuoteProject