"Without precise meanings behind words, politicians and elites can obscure reality and condition people to reflexively associate certain words with positive or negative perceptions. In other words, unpleasant facts can be hidden behind purposely meaningless language." ~ Ron Paul
I'm not a fan of politicians, to say the least. However, I am a fan of helping others recognize the illusion that is language.
In the wake of last night's presidential debate, I thought it appropriate to share some wise words to help you dissolve the illusion:
"Silence is better than unmeaning words." ~ Pythagoras
"Words reduce reality to something the human mind can grasp, which isn’t very much." ~ Eckhart Tolle
"Occasionally in life there are those moments of unutterable fulfillment which cannot be completely explained by those symbols called words. Their meanings can only be articulated by the inaudible language of the heart." ~ Martin Luther King Jr.
"Words, he decided, were inadequate at best, impossible at worst. They meant too many things. Or they meant nothing at all." ~ Patricia A. McKillip
"To the extent that language forces experiences into categories it is a screen between reality and the human being. In a word, we pay for its benefits… Therefore, while using language, as we must of necessity, we should be aware of its shortcomings." ~ Abraham Maslow
"The word is not the thing. I may describe a mountain most beautifully, paint it, make a poem, but the word, the description, the poem, is not the actual. We are generally carried away emotionally, irrationally by the description, by the word." ~ Jiddu Krishnamurti
"Man acts as though he were the shaper and master of language, while in fact language remains the master of man." ~ Martin Heidegger
What the world needs is not a great leader but rather more individuals who have a firm grasp on reality. When there are many who do not recognize illusion, there are many illusionists.
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Just found this site! Impressive work!
Posted by: Johan Lindén | November 02, 2012 at 11:15 AM