This is all about how we make meaning with words, signs, and symbols. I intend it to be useful in helping other understand their dreams, signs from the spirit, and the world around them in general.
Take this quote as a starting point:
“No word matters. But man forgets reality and remembers words.”
― Roger Zelazny, Lord of Light
In this thread I hope to put the first 3 of Don Miguel Ruiz's 4 agreements into practice, but in the context of the first agreement:
"Be Impeccable With Your Word."
I intend to show how our use of words can lead to assumptions we don't need to make. How to look more closely at the things we say instead of just assuming we get it. Also how our use of words and concepts can lead us to take things personally.
Will sometimes just share quotes I think are great examples of metaphor and other linguistic devices.
"Our ordinary conceptual system, in terms of which we both think and act, is fundamentally metaphorical in nature."
George Lakoff
More from Lakoff:
"For instance, in intellectual debate the underlying metaphor is usually that argument is war (later revised as "argument is struggle"):
He won the argument.
Your claims are indefensible.
He shot down all my arguments.
His criticisms were right on target.
If you use that strategy, he'll wipe you out."
Just think, is that why it is so easy for people to get up set about their ideas being countered? First you tie your identity in with your beliefs, ideas, and general thoughts, then you think of discussion as struggle, or war. Then of course you are being attacked, not just your ideas.
If we then look to the history (etymology) of the word discussion:
discussion (n.)
mid-14c., "examination, investigation, judicial trial," from Old French discussion "discussion, examination, investigation, legal trial," from Late Latin discussionem (nominative discussio) "examination, discussion," in classical Latin, "a shaking," from discussus, past participle of discutere "strike asunder, break up," from dis- "apart" (see dis-) + quatere "to shake" (see quash). Meaning "a talking over, debating" in English first recorded mid-15c. Sense evolution in Latin appears to have been from "smash apart" to "scatter, disperse," then in post-classical times (via the mental process involved) to "investigate, examine," then to "debate."
When people engage in discussion are they always on trial? If I discuss something with you does that mean I am always striking, smashing, or trying to destroy your view?
Now lets look at concussion:
concussion (n.)
c.1400, from Latin concussionem (nominative concussio) "a shaking," noun of action from past participle stem of concutere "shake violently," from com- "together" (see com-) + quatere "to shake" (see quash). Modern brain injury sense is from 1540s.
Not only do concussion, and discussion sound similar, but they even share some etymological meaning.