You are all obviously very smart people.
People dedicated to reading, self discovery, likely with some kind of taste for reflection, learning, consideration.
The kind of people I would probably enjoy sharing brain chemicals with.
Here’s a hobby-horse of mine — feel free to respond to any part of it, or with a hobby-horse of your own.
Words are such funny things. They can express EXACTLY that thing you want to say, like scratching the linguistic itch, or they can be just off the tip of your tongue, so close yet helplessly out of reach. The range of meaning of a single word, contexts and connotations — nothing less than impressive. It’s like art. George Carlin’s ‘The History and the Usages of the Word Fuck’ comes to mind.
It is not shocking to say that many of the traditional distinctions held between humanity and nature are going to be challenged and abolished over the next few years. Growing up, I remember it being a question whether animals could experience feelings anywhere as rich and complex as what us glorious humans do. Now I’m reading books that tell me that trees have feelings too. No shit eh? Mothers looking out for their offspring, communities keeping elders alive? Tolkien said the trees were wise, and he was right. I find that almost miraculous in so many ways, and like so many of the best truths— doesn’t it seem just so obvious in retrospect?
Yes, denial is convenient for psychologizing the widespread pathological violence towards all our neighbouring species, but cows really like their babies, whales hang out with theirs for life, chickens probably don’t murder each other living in the wild like they do in the hellscapes most call home, and Kurt Cobain was unfortunately mistaken — the fish do have feelings.
So, while it’s totally amazing how embedded in, and part of, nature we are, our area of excellence is unique among species, and that is the elaborate depth of communication our words provide.
Yes, it’s said 80% of communication is non-verbal — tone, posture, eye contact and expression. We can get through much of our daily existence without the need for words. But literally every advance we as a species enjoy and benefit from — words, words, words. Language is such a gift to us.
Learning words, definitions and connotations represents such a huge block of the learning that we do. From first hearing of a word’s existence, to capturing its meaning, to being able to identifying related dynamics and parallels, the learning of words provides rich humus for growing our understanding. They are a primary resource to our capacity of inference.
Think of any time you have been introduced to a new field or had to learn a new subject. It always starts with the words, and how to define them. Division is splitting a group into equal parts. Adding is putting groups together. So much of spirituality, living the good life, whatever you want to call it, ultimately boils down to just really understanding and acting upon basic words.
Is language a living thing? It certainly grows and changes. Every new field brings about a slew of additions to the lexicon. It seems to dance and move with us, through our steady evolution. It lives outside of any one of us, interacts with all of us, yet is ultimately only a reflection of our collective ingenuity.
So many problems that any of us will encounter through our lives will be addressed through learning and practicing new language. Let that soak.
May as well take an interest now, and start exploring the language of whatever skills may be required to address the disturbing events we experience. Compassion and conflict resolution go a long way. I hear coding is good these days too, and skilled trades are in demand.
Another facet of language that is amazing is that it is such an open-source innovation. Anyone can plumb the capacity of their being and pull new language and expressions out of the ether, imbue them with meaning, and provide them to the rest of us as a new block to build further understanding and intelligent action. It is a most glorious act of creation.
Not only do our words fuel the growth of human endeavour, they also fuel the psyche of our future generations. The words we use with our children will stay with them for the rest of their lives. It goes without saying we do our best to be aware of this as we are raising them, but communal reminders, like church bells or those found in a temple, are always helpful. Of all the things, this is one I often invite to sit with me in my heart and ask it to inspire my action. While our kids certainly take our words to heart the most — even, sometimes especially, the ones we mean the least — this also holds for all our loved ones, and all of those we haven’t learned to extend love towards yet. Interdependent origination — two words that could save you a million — all of us imprint on and feed into everyone we meet. Our causes are effects of their own, and our effects plant the seeds of later causes. Don’t drive like an asshole.
Words are the way we attempt to communicate with the whole.
…Seriously though, do I have to find a picture every time I want to write to all my brethren I haven’t met yet — haven’t your eyes been bombarded with enough images today? Wishing you well, all my relations.