Ok - here goes...
Since I seem to have stirred the pot (and maybe a hornet's nest or two) up a little for some folks,
I guess I need to explain myself, my opinion, and why i have arrived at some of the conclusions already described in my initial post and next response thereafter.
First, if i have offended anyone, it is and was not my intention to do so. My apologies as always if this has occurred for anyone in this thread thus far.
Next, I need to put things into as simple a perspective as possible as pertains to my feelings about the use of specific language and the potential power it may or may not have, and this, most importantly depending on the intentions and persons or circumstances involved and context of specific circumstance(es) in question.
*** Edited 6/12 *** I believe that not only the spoken and written word, but as well, all body language and even the intention and the "thought" forms of all potentially expressible words and feelings, - all have the same great potential power.
This * may * therefore, inherently represent a collective human responsibility in some way, to help better the human conditon, by at least making some honest attempt to more effectively utilize some of the most powerful potential opportunities for change, and growth, in all forms of communication, whether positive or negative in impacts will occur at the end of it all. I believe in this way that positively and very consciously trying to use all of our language skills in the many and varied forms it may take - whether written, spoken, body language, or psychic - no matter the race, culture or background, is important. This is my own opinion from personal experience. ****
*** I believe that language, and the use thereof, in any form, is one of our greatest gifts, potential assets, and a great potential key to our continued improvement and evolvement in how people relate to one another in general.
I deeply believe that every single spoken or written word that has ever existed each * potentially *carries a specific vibration or "frequency of meaning" as it were, and that it will have an effect of some kind once published or spoken where others can see them or hear them. Even plants and animals may seem to instinctively know and respond to this. The "vibrational" or "energetic" difference between the words "love" and "hate" for instance - there is a very specific difference between the two, and I believe that the affect it will have when using each will net completely different results, of course also largely dependant on the intention of the the sendant and the perception of the reciever, respectively... ****
Thus, *** I believe that*** as words, actions, thoughts, inflections, movements - are all are spoken or written from one person to another, that they will create irrevocable impact *** - like sound waves, and although of course invisible to the eyes, but clearly NOT invisible to the rest of the senses - including mental, emotional, instinctive, subconscious, and even even "spiritually " as well as psychically, and so therefore still must posess the inherent power, regardless of either the intention in use, or the perception of the reciever, to affect irreversible change in any given situation. There is, and has always been, a tremendous power in the specific use of specific language, and I feel that many people have lost the conscious awareness of this truth in every single moment of our communication with others.
I feel that if more and more people continue to simply stop taking the time to truly care about the importance of what and how they communicate, on every level, and how it may affect others (this IS an ages-old problem, which still needs solving), then the cycles of ignorance, misunderstanding, intolerance, and conflict will most likely continue down a very dark path.
Edit 6/12 ****If one is going to speak or write to another, or to many persons, without fully taking into account awareness of the potential impact of almost every single word, inflection, intonation, and feelings used, then I would have to consider this ingrained habit in the human race largely now to be simply dishonest in the most basic ways - lazy, and irresponsible, if not in *some* cases, obviously just plain intentionally cruel, crude, rude, inconsiderate, unaware, disrespectful, and negative in many ways. I believe that a *potential* lack of more deeply conscious awareness in all of our communications with both (especially) ourselves, and others, can dishonor and ***maybe*** even in some way * insults * our sacred intelligence, our own innately and beautifully well orchestrated
"Divine intelligence " system, that we are all all connected to and interconnected with one another as it were....
I personally feel that everyone both *innately* posesses these qualities, and thus can learn to consciously access them on a more regular basis. I would consider this for myself to be, at very least, a sacred responsibility to myself, and therefore in some way, no matter how remote the possibility, all others as well.
This always, at least by my own conscience, which is merciless about even the thought of harm or ill towards another - this based on how * I * was treated growing up, and am still often now, and i have turned the exact opposite. I find it agonzingly abhorrent under any circumstances...
***I think it both personally important, and in my own honestly striving for personal growth - to grow and fearlessly, lovingly, and intelligently, as well as * politely * as possible, just simply and more effectively communicate, and always try our very best to do so, in as straightforward and unconditional manner to everyone and about everything at all times as possible... ***
***OK - say it can't be done - it's too difficult - too much else to have to think about or worry about, or that's just not for you - oh well, that'll be for me to find out and decide for myself.......***
*** In order to even attempt to do this more effectively, i first had to spend *MANY* LONG and painful years trying my best - even at the fear of and percieved self-risk of total exposure long before i was ready to go that far. To risk everything in my own life, in many times and many ways, and on more than one occasion, to almost everything humanly possible that i could do, just to root out, and "decondition" myself of decades of self-recycling and poisonous negativity. It took me a long time - the better part of 25 years to begin the really truly deep measure of healing of all of the damage. It then took another 10 years from that point to get this honest and real with myself and all others, finally, and once again, at risk of losing everything and everyone in my life - and frankly, no price big enough to not be true to myself and all others that i love at last...whether they hate me or want me dead or gone or whatever - no matter - i will still treat them all with intelligence, love, and respectfulness, as much as humanly possible - and i am still surrounded by the rage, ignorance, bigotry, and hatred of people whose presence in my life is unvoidable and inextricably intertwined due to family necessity - and i will not be run off any longer, either *****
*** A lot of the negativity, rage, deep sadness, and hatred, had been very very painfully deep, and was subtly ingrained into all of my patterns of self-denial, lack of any real deep down self acknowlegdement, anger, self-destructiveness, resentment and deep guardedness towards others. Most of childhood and early adulthood, for myself and some others of us at least, consisted largely of having had the pleasure of growing up on a nearly constant diet of physical, mental, and emotional abuse, misinterpretation, denigration, and rejection by almost all others. This For nothing more than just being "different", in some way or in many ways. ****
From my own personal perspective, this has, can, and does, actually deeply damage and sometimes even almost irrevocably hurt ourselves and others, and sometimes unfortunately in ways we may not even realize often until much later when the consequences are all returning, whether they be good, or ill - ....
To believe that all people can - that I can - communicate with others without any of the need for real meanness, rudeness, hidden agendas, deviousness of any kind, at all times, and in all forms.
*** I think that a good example would be in the closest of lifelong positive best friends, soulmates, and/or successful business partners, that instinctively do this, and quite naurally, on the most important basic levels of comfort without ever having to really try for that baseline, but to just BE there - it just would come naturally for most of us if we would just LET IT flow like this more -
I think that this facilitates potentially positive dialogue, in order to help more responsibly communicate better with ourselves, and each other, and i think each being equally important.
This goes hand in hand with just plain out respect for both "our selves" and therefore, all others as well...*****
In addition, every writer in human history that has impacted large numbers of other people (speech writers for political and religious figures for example), have always relied heavily on the semantics (specifically meaning "the meaning of language used") and therefore also, the specific psychological result(s) upon the many, of what was being written or spoken as part of the overall and desired potential impact, especially if some of that can be used to also affect people on a subconscious level - this ***may*** also help the writer or speaker, once again, to reach and affect other people or persons in the specifically desired manner. ***
In this way, language has been used to effectively condition and manipulate billions upon billions of people over the course of history, and often for less than positive reasons or results. Hitler was a prime speaker, and worked hard on refining his inflection, intonation, and the specific use of semantics to achieve specifically desired results within the psyche of huge numbers of people, and to then achieve any number of unquestionably dark and horrendously negative goals. As well, many other presidents, statespeople, military leaders, politicians, religious speakers, motivational speakers and writers, and others, have known and used these linguistic tools both on the consciousness and subconscious of many people, with brutal effectiveness thoughout the ages, whether for good or ill purposes.
As well, for example, just from a practical standpoint if, in my business, someone wished to potentially contract my professional cooking or teaching services of professional cooking techniques - It will always bode more effectively for me to be referred to as "Chef" or "a chef", as opposed to say, "a cook". They both have the same general meaning, yet in this context, i might sometimes even find it mildly offensive when someone says to me "oh, so you're a "cook"...
Yes, I am that, but in a professional context that is in keeping with my goals for developing a quality business and obtaining quality clientele, I must demand that the distinction in use of language be made. Some people are taken aback by this, not aware or even necessarily caring of the distinctions as it were, and thus I feel it is then appropriate for me to inform them better, and if in so doing, they may be offended, oh well - that's probably not going to be the kind of person i want to work with, anyway...
If I have quite literally put blood, sweat, and tears into my passions and developing professionalism in my culinary arts (and I have), and feel as though i have earned the right to be referred to as "Chef" instead of being referred to as a "cook", this simply then does not and will not give proper meaning or context of my training, experience, or abilities as such, to almost any listener, by current standards of definition as regards this particular profession.
I dont then have to be offended, unless someone intentionally means insult, and even then still i can consciously choose to not let it get under my skin, but then again, if someone could care less about what another person holds as an important distinction for themselves in terms of specific definition(s) within use of language, then I think this is tantamount to rudeness, ill-manneredness, lack of thoughtfulness and consideration for others and for the self, and true laziness on the part of the person in question that would rather use a blanket term(s) to refer to what they may see as all things similar within a specific framework, as opposed to have taken the time to address the person or situation appropriately in a truly thoughtful and considerate manner.
I feel that, as people have lost the awareness of the power of language as one of most potentially sacred and meaningful assets that we posess, as well as one of the single most powerfully effective potential weapons in the human arsenal that has ever existed, it becomes more and more difficult to achieve understanding from one culture, group, or person to the next.
**** In addition, figures of power and influence in politics, religion, media, industry, etc., have always gained the awareness that large masses can be more easily controlled and then therefore fed more lies and distortions due to abuse of language and untruth in both the written and spoken word. Even the slightest and most careless change in body or facial language in any way, intonation, inflection, and/or even use of a single word can cause violence, bloodshed, misunderstanding, and miscommunication between people. I think that it is a sacred responsibility that people should care more, and put more thoughtful consideration and conscious awareness into their use of specific language because it is still the potential primary vehicle for affecting positive change in the human world. Say less, mean more.****
It can be solved when more people simply admit they can do better, and take the little extra time and effort to be more discerning, more careful, more thoughtful, more considerate, more refined, and thus redefined, as well as properly educating the children - the next generations - in all of our various ways and means of communicating, ***and this must include having the courage to stand up to any of those that continue to use, abuse, and misuse the sacred trust of purer and more direct and honest communcation for anything less than positive means. ***
Most thoughtfully, lovingly, and respectfully yours,
Always,
ChefAnnagirl
