Whoever said, “Sticks and stones may break my bones, but words will never hurt me,” didn’t know what they were talking about.

Our words contain enormous power—power to heal and power to harm. Words matter. Think about it. Through the ages, words have built societies, destroyed nations, defined cultures, and started wars. It’s words that describe how we feel, bringing dimension to what we think. Words have built up, but they have also torn down. Words matter a great deal, and the man or woman who can choose just the right word at just the right time has a skill greatly desired by others. There’s even an ancient proverb that says, “Like apples of gold in a setting of silver is a word appropriately spoken”(Proverbs 25:11, CJB).

It’s all about the words you use, what you mean by those words, and why you chose those particular words in the first place. It’s about how you say what you want to say and even when you decide to say it. What does the word mean? What did it previously mean? What might it mean going forward? Definitions can be all over the map. Our logical starting place is to spend some time taking a closer look at the meanings of the terms we are using. Socrates even said it this way, “The beginning of wisdom is the definition of terms.”

The first step toward lasting change is to look closely at the language. We believe there’s a need to use words that propel us toward unity. Words like diversity, equity, and inclusion are good, but they fall short in describing the change we want to see to get results. They may be suitable as a starting place but not as a route to lasting change.

In our view, the words commonality, equality, and cohesion do a much better job in describing this change, and we’re eager to show you why we believe that. We want to take some time to explore the definitions of these six words: diversity, commonality, equity, equality, inclusion, and cohesion. That way you’ll be able to make up your own mind about which words seem to create the energy and set goals that fit best for you.