Words are Imprecise

Imagine a chair.  You have it in your mind.  Now try and write (or speak) a short description of what makes a chair a chair.

online dictionary definition: A piece of furniture consisting of a seat, legs, back, and often arms, designed to accommodate one person.

It’s trivial to imagine a chair that doesn’t qualify for the above definition, but still is a chair.  Like this: (no legs)

One could imagine a million varieties that are more or less chair like.  Language is ultimately fungible and depends on the reader to interpret.

Words are imprecise.  Imagery and intuition work much better.  This is why you dream in imagery and not just a manuscript.  Your subconscious doesn’t text you.  It works with feelings and images.  Language is one of the most powerful inventions mankind has ever devised and yet it is still a very sloppy tool.  Forget the fact that we have so many languages and dialects.  Just trying to communicate an idea to a friend is often difficult.

Getting someone to understand your meaning, not just your words are valuable skills indeed.  I wonder why they don’t teach us these things in school.

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