Understanding Verbal Messages
Everyday, many of us humans engage in the greatest creation that our species has developed in all of our years of existence—spoken language. Continuously flowing exchange of ideas is only possible so far as we are aware of, through the articulation of language, a constantly adapting entity with varied shapes and forms. Regardless of the language chosen to be spoken, the uses to individuals and society are irreplaceable; whether participating in discourse over the mysteries of the universe, chatting with a friend about one’s thoughts and feelings, giving orders to accomplish a task, or the smutty gossiping complaints of daily life—none of this would be the least bit possible without some form of communication.
To this point, proper usage of language is of the greatest importance, not simply to prevent chagrin from English teachers, but because as stated by Dr. Steven A. Beebe in his writing on Understanding Verbal Messages “What you say is who you are” (2). As humanity has not developed any sort of widespread telepathy, the language that one uses is the only clear conception that others have of your thoughts and feelings. The words that one uses are the physical manifestation of the contents of one’s mind into reality, as I stated previously, they may give orders, build conversation—further they may also excite, persuade, convince, even deceive, when used with skill and awareness. Consider a game of chess for a moment; With 16 pieces to chose from, a player has 20 possible moves on the first turn, with each consecutive turn having another 20 possible choices. Thus, over the course of a 40 move game, there are an estimated 10^50 possible combinations of moves. Now consider the English language; 26 letters make up an uncounted number of words, all with innumerable ways to combine them—this means that what you say, if you give it a little thought and effort, has the potential to be truly unique, to never have been said before by anyone. Regarding this potential for exponential structure, one must also think of the meanings behind these words. Each individual has come into contact with various words in different ways, and thus the conception of a word in the mind’s eye diversifies from person to person.
A human speaking to an audience, large or small, must overcome these differences in preconception through attentive articulation to convey what they wish to portray. Stated in the Beebe article, “You know what you're thinking when you say the word: the challenge is for the other person to understand your thoughts behind your choice of word” (5). One word to some may conjure up tears and anguish, while to another, joy and elation may be felt by the very same statement. As insignificant each individual is to the wide scope of humanity, each person has developed with certain heredity and in specific circumstances that make them absolutely unique. The beauty in this uniqueness is that it is developing with each and every passing moment, growing more and more diverse, or in some cases submitting and conforming to surroundings. Choice in the matter is up to the individual, whether to submit or whether to stand strong and persevere, to hold out for the uniqueness within oneself and shape a magnificent future.
There is so much possibility within the use of language, it is illogical not to take care of its application and use it as a powerful tool to shape one’s existence.
How can each of you improve your lives through the careful and mindful use of language day to day?
To this point, proper usage of language is of the greatest importance, not simply to prevent chagrin from English teachers, but because as stated by Dr. Steven A. Beebe in his writing on Understanding Verbal Messages “What you say is who you are” (2). As humanity has not developed any sort of widespread telepathy, the language that one uses is the only clear conception that others have of your thoughts and feelings. The words that one uses are the physical manifestation of the contents of one’s mind into reality, as I stated previously, they may give orders, build conversation—further they may also excite, persuade, convince, even deceive, when used with skill and awareness. Consider a game of chess for a moment; With 16 pieces to chose from, a player has 20 possible moves on the first turn, with each consecutive turn having another 20 possible choices. Thus, over the course of a 40 move game, there are an estimated 10^50 possible combinations of moves. Now consider the English language; 26 letters make up an uncounted number of words, all with innumerable ways to combine them—this means that what you say, if you give it a little thought and effort, has the potential to be truly unique, to never have been said before by anyone. Regarding this potential for exponential structure, one must also think of the meanings behind these words. Each individual has come into contact with various words in different ways, and thus the conception of a word in the mind’s eye diversifies from person to person.
A human speaking to an audience, large or small, must overcome these differences in preconception through attentive articulation to convey what they wish to portray. Stated in the Beebe article, “You know what you're thinking when you say the word: the challenge is for the other person to understand your thoughts behind your choice of word” (5). One word to some may conjure up tears and anguish, while to another, joy and elation may be felt by the very same statement. As insignificant each individual is to the wide scope of humanity, each person has developed with certain heredity and in specific circumstances that make them absolutely unique. The beauty in this uniqueness is that it is developing with each and every passing moment, growing more and more diverse, or in some cases submitting and conforming to surroundings. Choice in the matter is up to the individual, whether to submit or whether to stand strong and persevere, to hold out for the uniqueness within oneself and shape a magnificent future.
There is so much possibility within the use of language, it is illogical not to take care of its application and use it as a powerful tool to shape one’s existence.
How can each of you improve your lives through the careful and mindful use of language day to day?