How do we understand each other? How do we understand reality?
Communication is required in some form. Verbally said, visually written, or body visual expressions that convey a limited subset of communication potential. Communication gets more powerful with symbols and language.
There is much variability, diversity and multiplicity in reality. It's not just "one thing" like the word universe would imply (turned into one). We create symbols, like pictographs or abstract letters, and join them in sequences to form different groupings in order to define them as a reflection of the differences in reality.
In a perfect linguistic construction, the language would have one word for each meaning and reference to something actual or imagined in reality. But, we often use the same word that is either identical in visual written form or verbal auditory form, yet mean different things.
This can add some confusion in communication, such as semantic misunderstandings that result from people having different definitions to the terms used in communicating about something real or imagined. When two people have different building blocks to form a conception about a conversation or topic, they end up walking two different paths even though they both think they are talking about the same thing. The result in not being on the same page or level of understanding in the end. To avoid conflict and misunderstanding, we need to remember that we may need to define our terms in order for clarity to be achieved.
I say anarchy, you hear anarchy. I mean one thing, you understand another.
I say socialism, you hear socialism. I mean one thing, you understand another.
I say basic income, you hear basic income. I mean one thing, you understand another.
Why?
Words can mean anything to anyone. They are sounds and symbols. We are to use specific sounds and symbols. Languages define symbols and sounds so that those who use a language can have a common ground of sounds and symbols that they agree to use for communication. But the meaning defined can vary.
Our words lack precision often. Layers of meaning and even opposite meanings can be applied to one single word. It can get confusing in itself to study the meaning of words and the etymological roots to their origins. When growing up and learning about things, we often adopt meanings other impose on us, unless we dig deeper ourselves to verify the meaning. There are conventional or colloquial meanings that applies in a society or region. Someone else using that same word, can be talking about a different, or more accurate, understanding compared to how you understand a word.
Language and definition is seen as a problem for some because we don't establish precise terms, don't define our terms when confusion arises, and then we can't communicate what we want to share, foolishly blaming language instead of ourselves for not properly using the tool. Laziness to define terms, or ignorance of it's importance, is what keeps many people from understanding more.
When arguments develop over a proposition, the premises need to be looked at, but also the building blocks of those premises which include the definition of words used. Ask someone to define a word, or define the word yourself, and see if everyone in the discussion is on the same page. Then progress in an argument can be made where we arrive at greater understanding of reality, together.
Truth takes time. Understanding reality takes time to learn. Communicating about what we understanding takes even more time. Establishing a common ground of definitions is required in order to talk about the same thing. Otherwise, you could say orange, and I think apple, human, or anything else.
@krnel
2016-11-15, 7:30pm