“Watch your words: they become your thoughts. Watch your thoughts: they become your actions. Watch your actions: they become your habits. Watch your habits: they become your destiny.”

You probably heard this quote used way too many times in high school. While a Google search did not reveal a source for this quote, its meaning speaks powerfully of human behavior.

This week, I spent some of my downtime analyzing my schedule. I admit that I have not fallen into a good habit of studying or even of exercising this semester. I am doing all of these things, but not in a routine manner that feels natural. As a result, I find myself exerting a lot more effort simply getting started with the various things that I repeat on a weekly basis.

To follow my train of thought, I started thinking about habits, which led to a memory of high school graduation. This quote came to mind because I unabashedly stuck it in my graduation speech. I apologize to those who had to suffer through my metaphors and clichés when all they wanted was their diploma.

Regardless of how cliché this quote may be, the idea that your identity stems from what you say fascinates me. In my childhood, my mother used to always tell me to watch my mouth.

Luckily, my parents were unaware of the practice of washing “a dirty mouth” with soap. I just got spanked instead for saying something mean to my little sister or speaking disrespectfully to an elder. In my parents’ defense, they always resorted to corporal punishment as a last resort. Regardless of their methods, they seemed to understand the importance of guarding one’s words.

I believe words transform our thoughts. Even when you are memorizing material like the lines of a play, reciting them aloud always helps you commit them to memory. If you say something enough times, you might start to believe it.

While I don’t know how many times you have to say a word to commit it to memory, I think we can all agree that new words can quickly demonstrate our actions and even our habits. The fact that I frequently use the word Googling quickly reveals that I am at least as tech-savvy as Isla Fisher or Rebecca Bloomwood. This simple word can reveal a lot about who I am, which generation I belong to, and what my habits might be.

The next time you spend time in a public area around campus, take a moment to stop and listen to the conversations going on around you. What are people talking about? What are the things that are important to them? How might you make a hasty judgment about someone simply from her words?

I criticize myself more than anyone else when I ask, “Are the words and topics that you choose to discuss an accurate reflection of who you are as a person?”

If you walk into the SIC, most of the conversations you hear will revolve around science and engineering. If you walk into Meadows, you will likewise hear conversations that revolve around the fine arts. The fact that the conversations within certain schools are related to certain disciplines makes sense.

However, what are people saying in places where a discussion of Stanislavski or Plato isn’t expected?

I spent some time this week simply listening and writing down what people talked about in public places. Here are some of the topics that I recorded: new products (bags, clothes, glasses, cell phones), recent television shows and movies, weekend activities (parties, Greek events, Valentine’s Day, making Valentine’s cards, sleeping), etc. What I didn’t hear in my time spent in the Varsity, the Hughes Trigg Commons, Java City, or Umphrey Lee were conversations about classes, the economy, politics, or anything else remotely academic.

I am personally unsatisfied with the culture in which we interact. If SMU students are not naturally engaging in stimulating conversations and simply resorting to gossip and retellings of unforgettable – or quite forgettable – nights, then what does this say about the thoughts, actions, habits, and character of SMU students?

Maybe my article is simply pointing out the obvious. The current SMU culture frankly does not engage in conversations outside of its own spheres. How many glorified retellings of last weekend have you heard from a friend?

Granted, I’m making some really poor blanket statements. In this past week, I’m sure many of us have had great conversations about our campus, the economy, the presidency, fair trade, and who knows what else. The turnout to the Veritas Forum, a religious conversation starter, was good. I was encouraged to see the number of students that had questions they wanted to ask. In fact, I think more conversations about religion might actually start to occur on this campus.

Am I judging you for what you say? No. I’m simply pointing out that if SMU wants to mature and become a more respected institution, then we might look first at how our conversations are shaping our culture.

Imagine if SMU students were actively engaging in dialogue about important issues happening around the world. Imagine if SMU students and faculty were actively solving some of these problems through collaboration and conversation.

Would this institution be a better place if there was one less conversation about the sketchy guy you met at a bar and one more conversation about how SMU might improve your college experience? Who knows? Again, I offer a cup of coffee, tea, or ice cream for anyone that wants to talk about all of this.

Daniel Liu is a graduate engineering management student. He can be reached for comment at [email protected].