The Value of Words
Here's another article I wrote previously. It may contain some repeated messages, but reinforcement isn't necessarily a bad thing.
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Words are the keys to life. At some point it became more effective to describe objects with words, rather than symbols, and so the alphabet and language evolved to perform important functions in civilization. Words now make up our books; they are our main means of communication; put them to music and they become art. Of course, the evolution of language is more complex than this, but the general idea is the same. Although we are left with the adage that a picture is worth 1000 words, where would we be today without our instruction books?
Language is not an exact science. Just look at the number of languages in existence today. We have variables of context, syntax, and dialect at work–just to name a few of the many variables attached to language. Inspiration, mood, and personal circumstances can also affect results of communication. Try a little experiment. Listen to the results as people interpret a photograph just to experience the affect of some of these variables. Objects mean different things to different people. What is happening in our lives also determines how we see things. A picture of the World Trade Center in New York would bring a different reaction today than it did three years ago.
Words are often insufficient and can lead to trouble. They are subject to interpretation at various levels of comprehension; when comprehension fails, interpretation falls short of its intended goal. We abuse words. We misuse and misspell words and punctuate our sentences incorrectly. Often, we use our words to be deliberately hurtful as well.
Hurtful words are not always deliberate. They may be misconstrued and become hurtful; perception, or interpretation, is relative. Factors such as personal taste and preference, education, and environment play roles in our understanding and comprehension. What we know of the speaker who delivers the message will play a part in how we react to that message. This is especially true when reviewing the work of other writers.
We are more likely to pay attention to that which we are interested in. How much of the newspaper do you read? Do you skim the headlines until something catches your eye? Do you read every poem or only the ones with the catchy titles? Therefore, the selection process also becomes important.
Okay, so we have something to say. We know roadblocks are at work. Where do we go from here?
Don’t get lost in your words. Detours in our discussion are fine if they add value and reach the result, but tangents, on the other hand, promote aimless wandering. You control the direction and destination of the work. Rambles, or streams of conscience, can be quite entertaining, but often have little actual value in their message.
Like driving, most of us don’t drive aimlessly; we drive with a particular destination in mind. Most of what we do in life is similar. We do things for a reason and hope to achieve a specific end. This brings us to a short list of questions to keep in mind. Think of these questions as the fuel that we put into our cars so they get us where we are going:
1. What is the message?
2. Who is the audience?
3. How will we convey our message?
4. What result do we want?
These questions must be considered in most everything we do. If we fail to answer even one question, we may not reach our goal. I will provide an example. My message is to show the importance of words and how we easily misunderstand them. My audience is a general one, but most likely to be the readers of this newsletter who are also writers. The conveyance is this article and uses reason to make a point. My desired result is to increase awareness and thoughtfulness.
Even in poetry, we must have an idea of these answers before we begin to write. Poetry, of course, gives us license to steer away from plain language. We do, however, have to convey our original message. Sometimes we miss the mark completely. Our titles should entice the reader and lead them into our poem and should not trick or tease the reader. Even when we veer off course in our creation, grammar, punctuation, and spelling should help our reader along. Readers should not have to stop and proofread what we have written.
Take the time to make sure you are speaking effectively; it doesn’t matter whether we speak verbally or with the written word. In verbal communication, we try to look our best when we interview for a job. We avoid street language and slang when we speak. Our choice of words, our tone of voice, and body language help to show our interest. The written word is simply dressed differently.
Written words, of course, are more permanent. They are also easier to dispose of when they don’t meet our needs. Misspelled words are often words in themselves and can twist our context terribly. Grammar errors can also distort meaning and signify laziness. Capitalization can relay emotion. Make sure that the subject and verb match in number and use active voice whenever possible. What is most important, give some thought to what you want to say and how you want to say it. Once you lose the interest of the reader; it is over. If you've dressed your words properly, you attain your goal--you've been read and understood. The second cannot be achieved without the first.
Having said all that, one might ask, "who cares?" Many may not care about this article. As a writer, the message means something to me. It is my responsibility to make you listen or read long enough to explore my meaning. If I have done my homework, I will have succeeded.
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Words are the keys to life. At some point it became more effective to describe objects with words, rather than symbols, and so the alphabet and language evolved to perform important functions in civilization. Words now make up our books; they are our main means of communication; put them to music and they become art. Of course, the evolution of language is more complex than this, but the general idea is the same. Although we are left with the adage that a picture is worth 1000 words, where would we be today without our instruction books?
Language is not an exact science. Just look at the number of languages in existence today. We have variables of context, syntax, and dialect at work–just to name a few of the many variables attached to language. Inspiration, mood, and personal circumstances can also affect results of communication. Try a little experiment. Listen to the results as people interpret a photograph just to experience the affect of some of these variables. Objects mean different things to different people. What is happening in our lives also determines how we see things. A picture of the World Trade Center in New York would bring a different reaction today than it did three years ago.
Words are often insufficient and can lead to trouble. They are subject to interpretation at various levels of comprehension; when comprehension fails, interpretation falls short of its intended goal. We abuse words. We misuse and misspell words and punctuate our sentences incorrectly. Often, we use our words to be deliberately hurtful as well.
Hurtful words are not always deliberate. They may be misconstrued and become hurtful; perception, or interpretation, is relative. Factors such as personal taste and preference, education, and environment play roles in our understanding and comprehension. What we know of the speaker who delivers the message will play a part in how we react to that message. This is especially true when reviewing the work of other writers.
We are more likely to pay attention to that which we are interested in. How much of the newspaper do you read? Do you skim the headlines until something catches your eye? Do you read every poem or only the ones with the catchy titles? Therefore, the selection process also becomes important.
Okay, so we have something to say. We know roadblocks are at work. Where do we go from here?
Don’t get lost in your words. Detours in our discussion are fine if they add value and reach the result, but tangents, on the other hand, promote aimless wandering. You control the direction and destination of the work. Rambles, or streams of conscience, can be quite entertaining, but often have little actual value in their message.
Like driving, most of us don’t drive aimlessly; we drive with a particular destination in mind. Most of what we do in life is similar. We do things for a reason and hope to achieve a specific end. This brings us to a short list of questions to keep in mind. Think of these questions as the fuel that we put into our cars so they get us where we are going:
1. What is the message?
2. Who is the audience?
3. How will we convey our message?
4. What result do we want?
These questions must be considered in most everything we do. If we fail to answer even one question, we may not reach our goal. I will provide an example. My message is to show the importance of words and how we easily misunderstand them. My audience is a general one, but most likely to be the readers of this newsletter who are also writers. The conveyance is this article and uses reason to make a point. My desired result is to increase awareness and thoughtfulness.
Even in poetry, we must have an idea of these answers before we begin to write. Poetry, of course, gives us license to steer away from plain language. We do, however, have to convey our original message. Sometimes we miss the mark completely. Our titles should entice the reader and lead them into our poem and should not trick or tease the reader. Even when we veer off course in our creation, grammar, punctuation, and spelling should help our reader along. Readers should not have to stop and proofread what we have written.
Take the time to make sure you are speaking effectively; it doesn’t matter whether we speak verbally or with the written word. In verbal communication, we try to look our best when we interview for a job. We avoid street language and slang when we speak. Our choice of words, our tone of voice, and body language help to show our interest. The written word is simply dressed differently.
Written words, of course, are more permanent. They are also easier to dispose of when they don’t meet our needs. Misspelled words are often words in themselves and can twist our context terribly. Grammar errors can also distort meaning and signify laziness. Capitalization can relay emotion. Make sure that the subject and verb match in number and use active voice whenever possible. What is most important, give some thought to what you want to say and how you want to say it. Once you lose the interest of the reader; it is over. If you've dressed your words properly, you attain your goal--you've been read and understood. The second cannot be achieved without the first.
Having said all that, one might ask, "who cares?" Many may not care about this article. As a writer, the message means something to me. It is my responsibility to make you listen or read long enough to explore my meaning. If I have done my homework, I will have succeeded.
posted by Vickie at 10:24 PM
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