Veteran writer-lyricist Javed Akhtar feels words are known by the company they keep and people should think twice before speaking.

“Just like friends, words are known by the company they keep. By looking at the words, you can tell if the sentence is negative or positive. Thus, we must choose are words carefully because every word has a reaction,” Akhtar said on Shah Rukh Khan’s show “TED Talks India Nayi Soch”.

The episode featuring Akhtar will be aired on Star Plus.