Train of Thoughts, 03-Jul-2021, 16:30, GMT +5:30

 

 The thing about 'words' is, they can be extensively cheap at the speaker's end. Doesn't matter if the speech/text being made is impromptu or well thought out, doesn't matter what state of mind the speaker might be in; words, more specifically, oral speech which mainly does not go through the credibility check (happens in the majority of cases) are more or less disposed-off in a way. Since there exists an unlimited supply of speech to tap into, many times the outcome is just worthless from the speaker's point of view.

Moreover, once the words are in the realm of public knowledge, they are subjected to more processes before turning into the final product. The further processes here refer to the 'interpretation' involved. In regards to that, there's also a catch i.e. once in the public domain, words are not some one-time entity. They stay around, acting as a template and more often than not translated into a different meaning every time they are summoned for interpretation. Interpretation in some way can be more dangerous than the original source because of the inherent freedom of choice attached with it. It can occur independently of the source (speaker) and sink (listener) and many times the intent of interpretation gets hidden and can be really hard to decipher. This includes the 'context' in some broad kind of way. One of the additional problems present at the interpretation (intermediary) stage is that selection of partial or whole of the text/speech which as a natural consequence of the structure of language can morph the meaning entirely.

With all these tollbooths crossed, when the words reach the sink, they carry the identity of their own and the potential of having a profound impact that may or may not coincide with the source intent.

In a way, throughout the history of all of the human civilizations, all the happenings and the non-happenings can be attributed to the contemporary 'ideas' prevailing and the manifestation of those ideas is the realm of words, as a part of the language.

Going into the territory of my opinion, I will say that herein exists some form of limitation of the language, especially in the case of usage of words to express ideas (this can be ironic because I also am trying to use the language to convey my ideas, but at the same time criticizing the inaptness of it to do the same). The reason is that it excludes the complete chain of thoughts that led to the expression/delivery of those words, all the assumptions, all the inherent biases, the limitation of understandings existing at the end of the source and intermediaries. Words, in the current reality, when travelling the spacetime of public knowledge, become baggage free of all the necessary details which the listener/reader actually deserves.


P.S.: The premise of this piece is of a scenario wherein someone tries to give advice/opinion which can have profound implications. The above-mentioned details or understanding if you would call it, must be the part of the background education one must acquire while engaging in the social apparatus of acting and reacting based on the words.

P.S. 2: Short version of the complete text can be, "be careful with words".