Maulana Wahiduddin Khan | Principles of Life
It has been said that when words come from the heart, they go straight to the heart; and that when they come from the tongue, they go no further than the ears.
It is quite true that there are two types of utterances. One is when one says whatever comes into one’s head, on the spur of the moment or to get by. This is an utterance which comes from the tongue. It emanates from the surface of the speaker. That is why it does not penetrate further than the surface of the listener.
The other type of utterance is one which springs from serious thought. A person has really and truly discovered something and in all earnestness, he puts it in words. Such words come from the depths of the speaker’s heart and that is where they find their way in the listener – right to the depths of his heart.
To say something from the heart means that one is saying something which comes from nature. Human nature is not different in each separate human being. All humans have basically the same nature. When one human being utters something which reflects this nature, it finds a place in the heart of others, for it is an expression of their nature too.
Everything experienced on a profound level of human nature is an experience shared by all humankind. Whenever one speaks while submerged in nature, then one is not only speaking for oneself; one is expressing the thoughts of others too. In a wider sense, one is leaping into the hearts of men and then talking. One is not only representing oneself, but he is also representing others. When an utterance of this nature comes out of one, it is bound to cast its stamp on others besides himself.
Just as no one can remain insensitive to his own feelings, so no one can fail to be moved by a tune played on the harp of human nature, for it strikes a chord in his own heart. It is not possible to be disconnected from one’s own self, nor is it possible to ignore a voice which is the voice of one’s own self, even if it comes from another.