Word Up
Written by Rebecca Firegrave on Sunday the 16th of January 2011
Pigs grunt, cows moo and ducks quack, the animal kingdom find ways to comunicate with each other. But one of the things that makes us distinctly different to our animal friends is our complex and sophisticated, arbitary rule based system of language.
Through the use of language and, ofcourse, that little matter of conscious awareness, we can share experiences, articulate feelings and question our very existence. In effect we can develop transparency. We can be aware of our own and others, opinions, needs and goals. It may not be the solution to the world's problems, but it is certainly a good foot to start out on.
But you can look at language like a door. It's moveable. We're one step ahead of the animal kingdom by having potential access but the door can be kept either open or closed. Words backed up with with a logical rationale can decieve even the speaker of the true feelings hidden behind the mesh of multiple meanings and put the listener, not only off the scent but led completely up the garden path. Perhaps animals, then, are the ones with the real advantage. Accessability to their inner psyche is out of their hands, they can't lead you there but if your instincts do, they have no tools to build a door to close on you.
So lets break the barriers down and choose words of sincerity. If it's not real then it's probably not worth uttering. And when someone speaks to you, don't let their words distract you from what they are saying.