Ode to the Exclamation
image: burst.shopify/Sarah Pflug
Oh, the exclamation. The most controversial punctuation – the subject of many debates. Who knew that a mere line followed by a dot could spark such passion? At one point in time, the exclamation was the darling of writers who couldn’t get enough of it, liberally lavishing every sentence and thought with it, until everything felt like it was shouting at you. But too much of anything will ultimately make you sick. So this has been its’ existence: once beloved, now exiled.
At some point Volkswagen went so far as to put a ban on the use of exclamations in their advertising, opting for the quiet matter of factness of the period. The ban is still promoted today with Apple forbidding the exclamation in their communication. But what is it that makes this symbol significant enough to warrant such a ban?
The exclamation isn’t anything special; it’s just a symbol. A symbol that we’ve ascribed meaning and power. Power to make the sentence or word preceding it take on an energy that indicates strong emotion, importance, high volume or emphasis.
In its prime, everything had an exclamation mark – so much so that it felt like we were yelling about everything. Statements like “Today is garbage day” became an ultimatum and “Coffee for sale” launched many despotic regimes. Unfortunately, as we all know, if everything is important, then nothing is important, so we began to ignore the exclamation.
Even today, in business communication, it’s believed best avoided. Stick with the period and make a statement, or even ask a question. Clear and simple. But has the pendulum swung too far as to make us passionless? Or if we are passionate about something, are we stifling it under a period and hiding it behind a question? Life is not passionless, it’s filled with the remarkable – both good and bad. Life isn’t black and white; we live in technicolour.
Might the banishment of the exclamation perhaps be a statement of a deeper story about our state of being? Are we afraid of releasing deeper thoughts and emotions because they might be messy and imperfect instead of clear and simple?
You may be thinking I’m advocating for the emancipation of the exclamation. Actually, no. Keep the ban against use of the exclamation on meaningless drivel. But release the shackles on its use when there is something important to be said, something of value, something that everyone should hear. In those instances, you can’t keep quiet, you can’t stifle emotion. You must shout it from the roof tops. Martin Luther King’s “I have a dream”, was not whispered in an alley followed by a period – it was proclaimed in front of thousands with an exclamation. Vision, belief, conviction, purpose: these are exclamation worthy. The “3 for $20 sale” isn’t.
Here’s to each of us finding our own exclamation – that which makes us passionate, courageous, and bold enough to share it out loud. When you find what you believe in, may it be worthy of an exclamation!
Vive l'exclamation!
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