Words and Concepts
Vocabulary is a funny thing....
You can know tons of Silver Dollar Words and have absolutely no idea how, or where, to use them.
Thing is, many of those $.25, $.50, and Silver Dollar words only begin to have true meaning and significance once we start using them in connection with something we do for a living. When that happens we begin to understand the meanings of words much better...
Words always have dictonary-style definitions, and we can recite those definitions with the pinpoint accuracy of a championship archer. But we never truly imbibe their meanings until we begin to use them in significant communications with others.
Until then, words in our vocabularies are a lot like shiny objects we've collected and collated, slotted into the brainsposts so we will know where we will know where and how to use them.
Nothing worse than using rubric when you mean paradigmn...even worse when using either word and nobody understands what you mean...
or why you used that word.
As we begin to work at various professions, our vocabularies grow and become more specialized. We learn patterns of acceptable communications--we learn mores and manners and concepts connected to particular words that helps to increase the effectiveness of our communication with others.
Can't begin to tell you the numbers of times when I've been around friends who've been talking about something, and I kind of have an idea what they're saying, but don't really get exactly what they're saying. Not to mention the times when I've started talking about something and then realized that nobody around me understood a single thing I was saying...
Which is kind of depressing, when you think about it...
Yet when we begin to associate the words in our vocabularies with particular concepts that stem from a particular profession, then we begin to have sense and meaning. We begin to grow in significance in proportion to the effective ways we use our words. More fluency with words and the concepts associated with those words among people within a particualar profession, the more status we gain...
Without any of that, all those expenseive words are nothing more than shiny gee-gaws.
And we are without significance...
Are we then, the sum of the words and concepts of our professions....
maybe.
but what do I know? I'm just a writer.
You can know tons of Silver Dollar Words and have absolutely no idea how, or where, to use them.
Image courtesy www.fromoldbooks.org The Canting Dictionary--a dictionary of "thieving slang"
Thing is, many of those $.25, $.50, and Silver Dollar words only begin to have true meaning and significance once we start using them in connection with something we do for a living. When that happens we begin to understand the meanings of words much better...
Words always have dictonary-style definitions, and we can recite those definitions with the pinpoint accuracy of a championship archer. But we never truly imbibe their meanings until we begin to use them in significant communications with others.
Until then, words in our vocabularies are a lot like shiny objects we've collected and collated, slotted into the brainsposts so we will know where we will know where and how to use them.
Nothing worse than using rubric when you mean paradigmn...even worse when using either word and nobody understands what you mean...
or why you used that word.
As we begin to work at various professions, our vocabularies grow and become more specialized. We learn patterns of acceptable communications--we learn mores and manners and concepts connected to particular words that helps to increase the effectiveness of our communication with others.
Can't begin to tell you the numbers of times when I've been around friends who've been talking about something, and I kind of have an idea what they're saying, but don't really get exactly what they're saying. Not to mention the times when I've started talking about something and then realized that nobody around me understood a single thing I was saying...
Which is kind of depressing, when you think about it...
Yet when we begin to associate the words in our vocabularies with particular concepts that stem from a particular profession, then we begin to have sense and meaning. We begin to grow in significance in proportion to the effective ways we use our words. More fluency with words and the concepts associated with those words among people within a particualar profession, the more status we gain...
Without any of that, all those expenseive words are nothing more than shiny gee-gaws.
And we are without significance...
Are we then, the sum of the words and concepts of our professions....
maybe.
but what do I know? I'm just a writer.
posted by Tish Grier at 10:54 PM
2 Comments:
Can't begin to tell you the numbers of times when I've been around friends who've been talking about something, and I kind of have an idea what they're saying, but don't really get exactly what they're saying.
Would that be when, say, talking to me about computers? :)
why, Ed...what makes you think that?? ;-)
but, yeah...funny thing is, I also felt that way when I started working around theologians. After awhile though I started to actually understand what they were talking about *and* be able to join conversations.
I still understand theology more than computers. I just get mental block with all that math-talk ;-)
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