Khalil Gibran once said that people will never understand one another unless language is reduced to seven words. What would your seven words be?
Just seven words, I am hungry and thirsty please thank you. That's seven words mind you and two of my basic needs would be voiced, but I don't know if that would be sufficient enough to have them met. Seven universal words is what I am assuming to be the exercise in question with this prompt and so I would venture that love would be one of the first, forgiveness is an important one, safety is a good one, compromise would be useful, peace is a huge plus, let's see, cooperation would be another excellent concept and patience would be my final word. These seven words: love, forgiveness, safety, compromise, peace, cooperation, and patience, I think if these were the core words in a universal language, then perhaps they would lead us away from the aggressive side of human nature. I can only think that they would do no harm at the very least. I realize that my words may be a little naive or too Koom ba yah for some, but there have been studies that language predetermines actions and tendencies. It would be difficult to act in a hateful manner when your language only has words defining love and patience.
Anyway these are my choices for the seven universal words.
laurieanichols 