linguistics

...In a former life I studied linguistics. I love language, the representational, metaphorical reality of it. The word "chair" doesn't mean anything at all other that what it means to each, individual human being's notion of what a chair is. Therefore, my idea of chair is totally my own and necessarily distinct from everyone else's. ...because my experience of chairs, early on and still, continually inform and affect the picture of "chair" that comes up in my mind when I hear, speak or see the word "chair." So. How many human beings on planet earth? How many, in the history of humankind? All but a tiny subset of that big number possessed at lease some understanding of "chair." Yet, every single one of those understandings is/was distinct to that individual understanderer...know what I mean? So, that's gazillions of notions of "chair." And we're talking about a freaking chair here. Noun. Inanimate object. Not a concept. Not "love" or "hate" or "loyalty" or "Goodness" or "God" or "Free Will" or whatever else we kill each other over. We're talking about a damn chair. We're talking about a chair...(this is my impression of Alan Iverson, ie: we're talking about practice...practice...practice) ...Plato, in The Republic is all over this notion of "forms" or "chairness." Read his cave allegory. Makes this point much better and more originally than I. ...But my point is not necessarily to concentrate on the "form," the presence or absence of "chairness," but the absolutely incredible gift of language. And, as great a gift as it is: wow... it's still absolutely amazing that we can communicate with one another at all. ...

So...next time someone says: "I love you so much...words can't express it," or "I know what I mean but I just can't explain it" or some other such nonsense, tell them: "You DO have the words to express it. So get on with it, lazy ass. Start expressing. Start explaining. It's a total copout to say you can't express how you feel." ...just because we may not be able to explain or express ourselves PERFECTLY, that is no reason to not attempt it, especially knowing that our particular expression of whatever it is we're feeling, thinking, etc. is 100% distinct to us. In effect, we, ourselves, are the perfect living masters of our own expression. So...NOT attempting is like Mozart saying, "Well, I can't really get this tune on paper exactly how I want it, so I'm just gonna lay on the couch and watch college football and take a nap."

Attempt, for God's sake.