i recall reading in a mcluhan book

we shape our tools and then our tools shape us.

words are tools. we made them up. they shape our thoughts. beliefs are thoughts. words shape them too.

if you hear embryos and fetuses repeatedly called "babies" or "children," eventually you'll talk the same way. babyunbornchildbabybabyunbornunbornchildchildbabybabybabyunbornunbornunbornchildchildchild

if you hear a pregnant woman called a "mother" often enough, you'll start thinking of pregnant women as mothers, even those that don't yet have children. mamamamamamamamamamamamamamamamamaaaaaamaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaa

if you grow up hearing people say abortion is murder, a day will come that you'll believe it.

and if you hear a big crime constantly called an "act of war," sooner or later you'll buy into the idea that the country is at war with the perpetrator.

mcluhan also wrote

environments are invisible.

a fish doesn't notice the water.

we swim in a sea of information—an information environment—but we're unaware of it.

and it affects us.

pay attention!