Energy, Power and Political Language

Energy is everything. So why isn’t the political arena taking notice?

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Words create worlds. Language is the invisible architecture that we build for ourselves and others. Words and language have several purposes. At its best, they empower, inform, educate, inspire, and engage. At its worst, they cause fear, resentment, division, rage, and despair. As this week sees several countries across the world hold elections to choose new political leaders, my mind has turned to political language. Not generic policy, PR or communication of political parties or politicians. Instead, my interest is the energy which is giving power to the information that is being crafted and delivered. How do we receive and feel about it?

It goes without saying that politics has felt “off” for the past few years, most notably when populism made a comeback. Everyone has picked up on this shift. So why aren’t we talking about the energy of political language?

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For most people interested in the topic of energetics – those with a spiritual inkling, sensitive folk, people fascinated by metaphysics – there is little discussion about how it relates to politics. This strikes me as odd considering how much the topic of energetics, how energy transforms reality, can impact political decisions and how we connect with the purpose, process and meaning of government and democracy.

The energy behind political language is such a subtle, delicate topic that it’s hardly surprising that it has been overlooked in a populist and simplistic political climate which demands boldness, brashness, and loudness. Yet this has turned most people off politics, either from engaging with it or reading the news. People don’t want survival politics. They want politics that thrives and helps, that truly resonates and connects, just as we want to experience in our personal relationships.

Of course, political policy needs to be intelligent and workable. It also helps to have political actors who have moral integrity and reputable characters. But at a more fundamental and primary level before logical policy decisions, political characters and political institutions come into play, we need to ask to what extent political actors prioritise looking after their inner world, if at all.

If our inner worlds are calmer, calmness will be the approach we take to challenges in the outside world. With deep healing comes truth and alignment. From here you start to attract at that consciousness and frequency. Are the politicians we see energy expanders or restrictors? Why do you think that is?  

By not focusing on the most basic human traits that we all possess – our energy – no matter what politicians or parties say, it won’t resonate with people in such a way that builds trust, understanding and connection. Energy always speaks louder than words. Connecting what we say with our energy and what we embody is everything. And in a highly technological and astrological age which is questioning what it means to be human, how we can expand our awareness of true connection and community, the energy fueling political language is one of the most important – yet underrated – aspects of politics that deserves further attention. Looking beyond populism, it may be the key to improving politics and making people more involved and interested in it again.

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Many of us, until recently, never really gave much thought or voice to explain energy. It has become a phenomenon of sorts post-COVID, a catchword for anything and everything, perhaps linked to our own awareness of time spent alone during the pandemic and in our now normalised remote work world. It was just something that we came across in a person or environment and either liked or disliked.

We’ve all gone through experiences and encounters in life which didn’t feel right to us but were told to push our intuition and feelings to one side because there was nothing on the surface, logically speaking, to prove anything was “not right” or “off”. But these feelings that come from encountering energy that doesn’t feel right or aligned with us is our body’s inner warning signal to protect us. In contrast, good energy, magnetic energy, always feels right, and energising. It’s a lifegiving energy that indicates that the experience or encounter is one that you want more of.  

The energy of communication is easily understood through the songs and artists we gravitate towards. We listen to upbeat music when we want to feel positive and optimistic, relaxing music when we want to wind down, and sentimental ballads when we want to connect to how we’re feeling. Music moves us because it’s an expansive energy that’s been carefully and deliberately contemplated and crafted by the artist and what they wish to share with their listeners.

Most musicians, as communicators, are consistent with their sound, messaging and style (minus the Madonna’s and David Bowie’s of this world). Yes, we may not like every artist, but we can respect them for who they are and their intention as artists. The idea of comparing the energy of politicians and musicians may seem odd, and even laughable. But there is something to be learned from a musician who is serious about their music because this is projected into their art. We instantaneously pick up, feel and connect to this. So why don’t modern day politicians apply the same level of seriousness, energy and connection into their political work?

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The energy fueling political language was something I first began to contemplate when I was an academic researcher at Cambridge University specialising in public law and democracy issues. Assessing the UK constitutional law landscape during the Boris Johnson/Liz Truss/Rishi Sunak period when there was a considerable amount of knee-jerk announcements and proposed reforms, including the Government’s proposed Bill of Rights Bill and controversial Rwanda scheme, it was clear to me that there was more than ill-thought out policy that was causing the problem. Something bigger was at play.

Aristotle famously said that a speaker’s actions must back their words, otherwise they would lose credibility. This is what is happening with the governing Conservative Party right now as their actions don’t back their words. For example, the party claims that it is “Sticking with the plan that’s working to deliver a brighter future.” Yet, as acknowledged by Stephen Bush, “Sunak offers a plan further away from the wishes of the average Brit than the one Johnson had.” No wonder a recent poll by YouGov showed that the party would lose over 200 seats in an immediate general election.

A political party personifies a group of people and their thoughts, values and ambitions for a better run country. There is something to be highly admired in the act of doing this, but it’s something that the people involved must cherish and value. Otherwise, how can people outside the political party be inspired to feel the same way, to be moved by the intention of the political actors?

No one wants a party which is disordered, disjointed and unclear about who it is acting for and why. Rather than acting in alignment with its manifesto, history and the desires of the electorate, the Conservative Party is doing the complete opposite. The energy of the party (insular, self-focused, unreceptive) has become the priority over openness, curiosity, passion and generosity to help those who need it the most. Similarly, instead of leading with seriousness and intellectual weight, the Labour Party has reduced itself to creating lettuce vs Rishi Sunak campaigns to garner attention (which is of course hilarious, but not appropriate for a party seeking to run a country).

This vacancy of thought, depth and treating the electorate like they have no intelligence is not the way to inspire serious engagement or respect. The energy underlying communication is what to expect in return. Like attracts like after all. This is why the lack of awareness and focus on energy within politics is so puzzling to me. Nothing can improve until the energy of the people in power starts to become more elevated.  

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Whilst not specifically talking about energy, the English political writer George Orwell had some fascinating insights into political language in his essay, Politics and the English Language:

Now, it is clear that the decline of a language must ultimately have political and economic causes: it is not due simply to the bad influence of this or that individual writer. But an effect can become a cause, reinforcing the original cause and producing the same effect in an intensified form, and so on indefinitely. A man may take to drink because he feels himself to be a failure, and then fail all the more completely because he drinks. It is rather the same thing that is happening to the English language. It becomes ugly and inaccurate because our thoughts are foolish, but the slovenliness of our language makes it easier for us to have foolish thoughts. The point is that the process is reversible. Modern English, especially written English, is full of bad habits which spread by imitation and which can be avoided if one is willing to take the necessary trouble. If one gets rid of these habits one can think more clearly, and to think clearly is a necessary first step toward political regeneration.

Orwell is right to observe the decline of language and its political and economic effect. What he wrote in 1946 has become more important and relevant in the information age we’re currently living in. But to me, it goes much deeper than that, especially in a political climate which prioritises instant and constant reaction over thoughtful and substantive responses. The energy of our words and language matters, just as much as the words and language itself. If we are seeking a politics with clarity, consistency, attentiveness and care, then we cannot expect to attain this if the energy and feeling underlying political language is the total opposite.

I don’t suggest that there is a formula behind the energy powering political language. There’s no quick fix solution. Nor should there be. It can only truly work if the intentions of the political actors are inherently good. Energy can’t lie or be manipulated. The truth is always revealed.  

But I do believe that a higher degree of care and attentiveness is required to improve politics in countries that demand it. We are but mirrors of the environments and nations we live in. Our lives are created and nurtured by the company we keep. Feelings are emotions in motion, and we use words and language to communicate them. We often speak things into existence without realising that we’re doing it, whether that be through the energy of hope or fear. They can affect us mentally and physically. It colours our experiences.

If we wish to move past the politics of drama and into the politics of clarity and momentum then we need to be mindful of the energy we bring to it. Energy spreads like wildfire. It can create a totally new dynamic and social paradigm. Bringing our human awareness to the forefront is a step in the right direction. What is the alternative?