LANGUAGE - ALLY AND ENEMY AND ENEMY AND ALLY

LANGUAGE - ALLY AND ENEMY AND ENEMY AND ALLY

By Andy Weddington

Tuesday, 01 September 2020

But if thought corrupts language, language can also corrupt thought. George Orwell

Reality is reality and language is language.

Language is not reality.

Language is not the person, place, thing, nor event it describes and represents. 

Reality is not language.

Reality is mutually exclusive from language, other than the variable of agreement - or not; for cooperation or conflict. 

Why 'silence is golden'; harmony.

Language, any language, is but a tool - noise - to represent reality.

So necessary is language to daily life, few give thought to this inescapable fact much less consider the restrictiveness of language. 

Leave it to humans to muck things up. My God can people make a mess.  

Language captures only an iota, if that, of reality. 

Truth is the overwhelming majority of our sensory world goes unnoticed therefore dodging - Hallelujah! - the pollution of language.

Which raises the question, "Can that not realized (at least consciously) be enjoyed and appreciated?" 

Language, however descriptive, whether in hands of pauper or poet, is a poor representation of reality.

And then there's whose reality?

So prism facets and filters play a critical variable. 

Keeping it  simple ...

Were language reality there would be but a single language; one for the planet.

That is, assuming English as the sole global language, the word "lemon" would be the only word to represent the citrus (another word that would be the only word - as all the words in this commentary).

But that is not the case, as we know. 

Hundreds and hundreds of languages have their own word or words for "lemon." And for "citrus." And for "and" and for "for."

And translations do not always translate, due to restrictiveness, further complicating the limitations of language. 

Yes, the symbol language different. A drawing, painting, or photograph of a lemon universally understood. All agree. But expressiveness is more restricted than restricted.

Though the argument 'a picture is worth a thousand words' has some validity. 

What's the point?

Does any of this matter?

Yes!

Awareness is important. Awareness matters. Critical! 

Despite limitations of language there is an important concept referred to as 'the precision of language.'

Meaning it is possible to assemble words (and symbols) in such a way to say or direct exactly that intended as to be no misunderstanding nor confusion. None. 

The "Well, you know what I meant," is alibi of the sloppy and bane of precise language.  

How could anyone possibly know, other than through hazardous assumption, what you mean?

Accordingly, language is a powerful tool of persuasion. 

We bear witness.

Be alert!

Just this morning an example on television "news."

Is an "almost peaceful protest" a protest?

Window smashing, fires, police being attacked, innocent people assaulted, etc., is not an "almost peaceful protest." 

The word is anarchy. 

And anarchy is the way of an enemy not protestors (an ally but with grievances). 

Media exploits language to fit agenda and bombards to achieve objective.

Who's the ally?

Who's the enemy?

The good guys do it.

And the bad guys do it.

Whom are the good guys?

And whom are the bad guys?

Confused?

That is the point. And the objective - today. 

What is truth?

What is false?

Can truth be false?

And false be truth?

We bear witness.

There is, through language, deliberate attempt to confuse. 

Who wins the election on 03 November?

The candidate who succeeds, through language, convincing the majority to agree with him; they speak the same language - generally, at least, through the same facet and comparable filters. 

Caution! 

Be alert!

Be suspicious of language until absolutely understanding (your) reality then accepting language that aligns. 

Easy it is to fall into the trap of reality and the description thereof is one.

The sane do not.

Can you avoid corruption? 

Think about it!