Jumping off points
Try to define as precisely as possible the following words a) Triangle, b) Love, c) Table
a) Triangle: A triangle is defined as a shape that consists of 3 straight lines that connect to each
other
at one point. These points are characterized as being "sharp" and
"pointy". Two lines converge to meet one another. The points at which
these line meet form what is called an angle. A triangle has 3 angles that all
add up to 180°.
b) Love: Love is a feeling, more often then not, considered to be larger and more important than the feeling of "like". Biologically, "love" is a neurochemical reaction caused by the hypothalamus of the brain when overwhelming joy is experienced. This reaction causes an inrush of dopamine, the "feel good" hormone that allows organisms to feel joy. This signal often allows humans in particular to act out in a way that they normally would not. This feeling is arguably the most sought after yet equally and desperately the most avoided. For such a good feeling, it seems to do more bad than good.
c) Table: A table is a piece of furniture traditionally carved of wood used to eat upon, write upon, and place decorations on among other things. It is something used to set things on. Physically, it is composed of a long rectangle supported by 4 "legs", one for every corner of the rectangular table top. The table top can also be carved into the shape of a circle, however, 4 legs still support the structure. In recent time, we have seen an increase of metal, marble and plastic tables. Practically, a table can be dubbed to be any structure that support rested materials.
Which was easiest to define?
I feel that love was the easiest word for me to describe, simply because I did not dig too deep into the philosophy of it but rather explained it in a scientific manner to the best of my abilities.
To what extent is your use of language accompanied by images? Does every word conjure up an image or only some of them?
To answer this question, I am limited only by my own imagination and experiences. I will attempt to draw from other's thoughts and beliefs but that is exactly the restriction language and communication offer. To effectively tell a story (and this is especially true for any author) you must be able to conjure an image to your listener. It seems easy enough but it is one of the hardest tasks for anyone. To be successful, you must understand that the image you have in your head will almost never be a carbon copy in the mind of another. No matter how well you may describe something, the image in someone's mind will be shaped by their experiences and personalty. This is largely the reason why relationships so often fail and friendships are reduced to awkward interactions. Personally, I do like to imagine words as having their own personality and accompanying image, such as the word "seldom" is a stout man with a suit and a monocle. It is also paired with an image and reminder of one of my English examinations in which I used seldom incorrectly and thus claimed that a man's daughter was a chronic smoker (uncomfortably long story). I have recently attempted to indulge myself in books again, and it has been wonderful. One thing I noticed was my difficulty in picturing what the author was attempting to describe. This is what brought me to the difficulty authors must face when writing books: you must have a certain acceptance in the fact that readers will not always picture things exactly as you wish them to, and that is perfectly acceptable.

Comments
Post a Comment