To make sure that we use the word for its highest purposes, we must obey three conditions. We must be humble. The words we use are old and powerful. Most of the words we use in everyday speech can be found in Chaucer. We must never refrain from using a word merely because it's old.
Old words are often the best words, more precise than current slang, more powerful than jargon.
Of course, we should also have the humility to welcome new words such as fubar, cyberspace and interface. These words fill the gaps in the language and allow us to express ideas we didn't know we had. We must be honest. Whenever I hear the dishonest use of words in a commercial or a political speech, I say bullshit. I say bullshit as emphatically as I can because there is a part of me that believes everything I hear.