Found this poem by Eric Meyersfield about the effects misunderstood words can have on a child. The phenomenon (and its resolution) is covered in Study Technology by L. Ron Hubbard, and there is an excellent video and free course on Study Tech on the Scientology website. And the poem follows:
The most gut wrenching cry that ever you heard,
Is frustration that follows the misunderstood word,
The child is restless and can’t sit quite still,
He’s nervous and angry and feeling quite ill.
He wants to go home or go play in the sand,
His pencil is shaking inside his right hand,
He’s blank and washed out and not present or there,
He’s kicking the desk and he’s pulling his hair,
He’s yawning, distracted and won’t settle down,
Instead of a student he’s now the class clown,
He can no longer read so he’s playing the fool,
He’s got no more attention or focus for school.
PLEASE make him look back – oh – a sentence or four,
And clear up the word so he’s bright and RESTORED!
If you don’t know the strength of a dictionary,
The psychiatrist will move in and SCREAM, “A.D.D.!”
Then watch as your child takes a nice little pill,
That darkens his spirit and dampens his will,
You’ll be sorry years later when he hasn’t a thrill,
Well look at it this way – at least he’ll sit still.
The lesson’s so easy it might seem absurd,
But all that needs fixing is ONE LITTLE WORD!
Do you hear me? You get it? Please tell me you heard:
NEVER LET YOUR CHILD PASS A MISUNDERSTOOD WORD.
Based on the Study Technology of L. Ron Hubbard
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