The most important things...

[Scarlette]

...are the hardest things to say. They are the things you get ashamed of, because words diminish them - words shrink things that seemed limitless when they were in your head to no more than living size when they're brought out. But it's more than that, isn't it? The most important things lie too close to wherever your secret heart is buried, like landmarks to a treasure your enemies would love to steal away. And you may make revalations that cost you dearly only to have people look at you in a funny way, not understanding what you've said at all, or why you thought it was so important that you almost cried while you were saying it. That's the worst, I think. When the secret stays locked within not for want of a teller, but for want of an understanding ear.

[esupin]

Re: The most important things...

words shrink things that seemed limitless when they were in your head to no more than living size when they're brought out.

This is exactly what I've been trying to tell my teachers.

[The_Q]

RE: Re: The most important things...

Are you claiming that language is inefficient? That's like "recycling paper is good" and "urban sprawl is bad". I think that the limitlessness of language itself is incredible as is. What can't you describe? I can describe anything I want as much as I want, as long as I know the words, and the words I know are the words the listener knows. The fault could be on both sides, unlike you have claimed.

How else would we communicate anyway? Do you know that our speech ability may be accidental, but it's the most efficient way of communication ever produced by nature? It's true. I dunno where I went with this, at all.

EDIT: Esupin's post proves my point more. He couldn't word his thoughts well enough.
Q

[esupin]

RE: Re: The most important things...

Yes, and also sometimes language bastardized reality. What you're thinking and what you wrote might be interpreted differently by other people

[Nonexistent_One]

RE: Re: The most important things...

Scarlette, I personally think that is beautiful. It sounds like a good topic for a poem, even though that would possibly contradict what you are saying, because you probably couldn't get everything from your head onto this tiny piece of paper. Maybe that would give the poem a certain twist, though...

I know, personally, that I have this problem constantly. Whether it is the inability to think of the correct words, or whether it is a misinterpretation; something is always missing at the receiving end. Maybe it's a fault of language; maybe it's a fault of humanity.

-> Did you know that the condition of not being able to think of a word to describe your thoughts is called "lethologica"?

~NEO

[KissMyGrits]

Of course language is a limitation, that much is obvious. It is impossible to fully express a feeling without somehow directly relating a thought. This may seem cumbersome, but it forces us to utilize what faculties we do have at our disposal creatively. We must attempt to explain our feelings in limited medium, which is the essence of art. Anybody could transmit "pretty" to somebody if it were possible, but where is the success? The meaning of life is to overcome.

[LostUserName]

"I love you" doesnt convey the passion you feel for the one you love.

[zildjian133]

Its like the great feeling of frustration when you're explaining to your parents or something how a teacher is so horrible, but it doesnt come out great enough to convey your sense of ambition, i know exactly what you're saying and i hate that so much, like in movies they make such inspirational speaches but that would never happen in real life. It has nothing to do with language really. It has more to do with emotion.

[Scarlette]

Yay@LostUserName.

You're all good.