Although the spring evening was unremarkable, it provided a slight chill that could be easily overcome by light sportswear. As most of us were about to graduate and potentially land high-paying dream jobs, it was effortless to gather everyone for drinks on a weekend night. To stay connected, my friends and I made an effort to meet up regularly at a nearby bar and grill where we caught up over some food, drinks, and lively conversation.
At dinner, there was talk about the day's events, school activities, and summer plans. As the night went on and drinks were consumed, people became more candid. The topic changed to a friend who wasn't present because he was with his girlfriend. This friend had been spending less time with the group in the past year due to their relationship. One person expressed disapproval of this behavi
...or.
The notion that a girl caused our group to experience a loss did not appeal to him. A few companions and I are presently involved in romantic relationships, realizing that one cannot always spend time with male friends when committed to a significant other. It is an inherent aspect of being in a relationship that necessitates occasional quality time spent with the partner. Our unattached friend, on the other hand, did not comprehend this. His most stable relationship was with the beer he had been consuming for the past hour, implying that he has never truly been in any prior relationship.
During a nighttime outing with my friend, they negatively commented on our mutual friend's inability to assert himself in his relationship and called him "whipped". In response, I playfully defended our friend by highlighting
that he was capable of having a girlfriend. Despite the initial disagreement, we still had fun for the remainder of the night. As we departed from the bar and bid each other farewell, we eagerly looked forward to our next get-together.
During my schoolwork, a single friend contacted me and requested to converse. At first, I was excited for a pause, but it soon became apparent that this wasn't just any ordinary request as he seemed troubled and saddened. When we gathered together, he disclosed to me that my remark concerning his difficulties in keeping up with romantic relationships had caused him pain.
Although I tried to explain that my previous remarks were not intended to be taken seriously, he detected a defensive tone in my words and understood their actual significance.
At first, I tried to treat it as a jest, but my tone betrayed the sincerity of what I said. He recognized the validity of my words and conveyed his dissatisfaction with our recent relationship. Though I apologized, it didn't suffice to fully remedy the situation. While we still maintain our friendship, our bond isn't as close and we haven't interacted or hung out since then. Ultimately, language is nothing more than a compilation of symbols that lack genuine significance.
The process of arranging information in a specific order with the intention of conveying a predetermined message or idea is complex. This is typically done by an individual before consulting others, for the purpose of communicating to a group. Although it may seem simple, examining a dictionary entry is like looking at the monochrome sun in space - it remains unchanged and identifiable.
In the expanse of
space, one can observe the sun emitting light. Its radiance is comparable to watching a sunset over the ocean on a clear afternoon - revealing the subtle variations in color and the dispersion of light in the atmosphere, creating hues of pink, red, yellow and purple. Additionally, one can observe the reflection of the sun on ocean ripples, each perspective unique but showcasing the same bright sun.
The beauty of language lies in its contextual nature. The meaning of a word is incomplete without the surrounding sentence, as well as the speaker's tone and intentions, which can heavily influence its interpretation. The tone of voice is the ultimate medium that conveys these subtleties. For example, if a boss laughs while saying "you're fired," it's likely a joke, but if the same message comes with a scowl, it's likely serious. Because tone and inflection play such crucial roles in shaping language's nuance, they can be challenging to convey in written forms such as books.
Despite the existence of a method, there's always some loss of meaning during communication. In today's world, people acknowledge the impact that tone can have on the interpretation of words. According to Dr. Sam Vaknin's book, The Weapon of Language, language is utilized cruelly as well as ruthlessly to ensnare enemies, create confusion and panic, make the listener doubtful, hesitant, and paralyzed, gain control, or take revenge. Vaknin believes that language and its mechanics can serve as a weapon and a tool to dominate, frighten, control, and remove adversaries.
It is typical for politicians to make harmful remarks about their rivals without using direct language during an election cycle. Hillary Clinton has consistently claimed
that Barrack Obama doesn't have the essential qualifications to be President of the United States, implying that he lacks experience.
The word "inexperience" has been spoken with a sinister undertone by her on numerous occasions, leaving it to reverberate in the listener's mind and resurface when hearing Obama's name. Business leaders and CEOs worldwide offer insincere apologies that sound scripted for their mistakes, such as saying things like "I am sorry I misinterpreted our earnings last year and cost everyone millions of dollars," which are coated in a sugar-coated veneer for easy consumption by the masses.
Just a few minutes ago, someone else handed over the script to a bigwig for review before presenting it to the public. This undermines sincerity, as it happens repeatedly. Words are often spoken defensively to prevent being deprived of something. The tone and inflection used by the speaker are more important than the words' actual meaning.
In her book Language as a Weapon, Margaret Randall argues that words, tone, and inflection can be used to convey different meanings. She believes that advertising is notorious for distorting language and has become its own vernacular. For example, the slogan "Buy more, spend less" suggests that buying more will result in spending less money. However, those who have studied marketing know this actually means you may receive discounts now but ultimately pay more in the long run. In a Toyota commercial featuring a family camping and stargazing, it's implied that owning a new Toyota improves familial relationships - but is it really that simple? Perhaps it's cheaper than therapy in the long term.According to Randall, the term 'jihad' has been misused in the global context
due to political influences. The original Arabic meaning of 'jihad' pertains to an individual's personal struggle in battle, demonstrating bravery. Nevertheless, it has now been adopted by fundamentalists who commit terrorist acts against innocent individuals based on religious beliefs. It is critical to highlight that neither the perpetrators of 9/11 nor those attacking American soldiers in Iraq are conducting Jihad. Referring to them as radical fundamentalists is not as powerful as identifying them as part of a Jihad.
Currently, we are fighting against Jihads as it is improbable to obtain funding from any presidential administration for a war on radical fundamentalists. The importance of language cannot be overstated since it shapes our communication skills from the beginning to end and reflects our identity, origins, and future direction.
Words hold the ability to both protect and harm, provide sustenance, honor, and create existence. Despite the adage that "sticks and stones may break my bones but words will never hurt me," I disagree. Our language is our most potent weapon, as stated in Washington Irving's Rip van Winkle: "A sharp tongue is the only edged tool that grows keener with constant use." This sentiment rings true.
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