We build with words the topography of our inner world, as we explore the physical world with our senses. Our metaphors, nicknames, roles are worth a scrutiny.
I read Yong’s book a few months ago and enjoyed it immensely. Different sensory capabilities between species is an area of interest for me, beginning with learning about dogs’ tremendous olfactory capacity. Tracking, search and rescue, etc. Anyway I strongly agree that how we speak of things, words we choose, surely steer our minds and frame our reference. Just as your friend using the sea metaphor shaped her outlook. Thanks for your essay.
Beautiful essay about the power of the words we tell ourselves. We think we speak outwardly, but our mind and especially subconscious absorbs the meaning, the metaphors.
Another phrase I'm reminded of is when people use 'I should' / 'I shouldn't', and the advice to replace it with 'I want to' / 'I don't want to'. As in: I should wake up earlier > I want to wake up earlier. It sends a different message to our minds.
I love this from beginning to end with only one main complaint. There is so much here to think about that I could have processed it better in pieces, but then again, you tie it up so well at the end.
I love this line: What drives the reader to keep turning page after page is the perpetual wonder
Really enjoyed your exploration into Grandma, and then "life as a choppy sea," and finally "Who and what do you call yourself." Zoe, this is so rich. I am going to have to read it again to make sure I got the most out of it. Wonderful writing!
I really enjoyed this article, Zoe. Thank you. I would argue though, that both joy and loss endure. As they should. They provide contrast and insight. I know I wouldn't want to be without one or the other.
And I know you're not suggesting that we do without loss. But it does indeed, endure. For me anyway, it helps provide an emotional complexity that lets me see life as a tapestry. I wouldn't want to be bogged down in loss, as I have been in another past, but neither do I want to relegate it to the back of the shed. It's there, because that's part of life.
I would also argue that loss is only perceived as something we want to minimize exactly because of our reaction to it. I have this weird inversion of senses thing going on, like sensory dyslexia I guess, so what I'm saying may not gong a bell to somebody reading this. I think I probably have emotional dyslexia, too, at least sometimes, and both of these things cycle and swirl. It's what makes life so beautiful and interesting.
I totally understand what you say, Victor. But in that moment, as well as in other similar ones, when I'd told myself the same, it meant that whatever happens, loss is the one that cancels out the other. Whereas I suddenly realised that it was up to me to cancel out the joy before the loss came in. The loss will always be in us, sure... it's just, do we let it define our lives?
I sure hope we don't have loss define our lives, but it does color them, to some extent at least. Some people are better at handling it than others, making loss work for them, in some way. Not saying I'm one of them, but seems I've met people like that.
Did you know that literature is the only place we don't have a parent child winner set for the big prizes.Did you know that literature is the only place we don't have a parent child winner set for the big prizes.
Literature and writing are not equal to your senses. At least not like music, art or science.
Music is sound, art is sight, science/ math are nature.
But literature is not not the understanding of humanity.
Writing is not the innate gift. Understanding emotion That would be psychology.
So what is literature then. Why do we celebrate words as if they too were as beautiful as art or music?
Because words convey emotions like music and art.
Words have many meanings.
They are the same thing as an instrument is for music or a technique for art.
Instruments are many. Words and their styles are many.
But you put in here you think someone's psychology would change if they used different words. I don't understand this at all. The musician is not made by their instruments. Many play many instruments. Words are the same.
I think we put too much value into the tools of emotional expression. But not enough value into the thinkers behind the tool.
If all you have is a hammer then with it everything you will pound.
If all you have is words to convey emotions then I guess words and metaphor will be more important.
But the real question is why don't we have more understanding of it emotions. Why don't we have genius behind the thinkers who make us healthier. Like art and music make thing more beautiful. Have society forgotten what healthy is? Has the focus on average destroyed achieving healthy for everyone.
We have screwed something up when we value the instruments or techniques. The instruments should never be valued more than the music of great composers. The techniques of art should not be. Valued more then the genius artists. The words should not have more value than the insights.
Metaphor is a tool. It's not a the end goal.
We are a messed up society because we have relegated emotion not necessary to cultivate and understand.
I don't know how everyone can miss something so freaking huge.
Literature and writing are not equal to your senses. At least not like music, art or science.
Music is sound, art is sight, science/ math are nature.
But literature is not not the understanding of humanity.
Writing is not the innate gift. Understanding emotion That would be psychology.
So what is literature then. Why do we celebrate words as if they too were as beautiful as art or music?
Because words convey emotions like music and art.
Words have many meanings.
They are the same thing an instrument is for music or a technique for art.
Instruments are many. Words and their styles are many.
But you put in here you think someone's psychology would change if they used different words. I don't understand this at all. The musician is not made by their instruments. Many play many instruments. Words are the same.
I think we put too much value into the tools of emotional expression. But not enough value into the thinkers behind the tool.
If all you have is a hammer then with it everything you will pound.
If all you have is words to convey emotions then I guess words and metaphor will be more important.
But the real question is why don't we have more understanding of emotions. Why don't we have genius behind the thinkers who make us healthier. Like art and music make life more beautiful. Has society forgotten what healthy is? Has the focus on average destroyed achieving healthy for everyone. Have we forgotten to value people who know how to exist well. Without adhering to our societies values of money, power, prestige?
We have screwed something up when we value the instruments or techniques over those playing and composing. The instruments should never be valued more than the music of great composers. The techniques of art should not be valued more then the genius of the artists. The words should not have more value than the insights they convey.
Metaphor is a tool. It's not a the end goal. It is not what scent is to an ant. It is just one of their legs.
We are a messed up society because we have relegated emotion not necessary to cultivate and understand.
I don't know how everyone can miss something so freaking huge.
Hi Lilian, yes, metaphor is a tool, or even more, a signpost. A surface element that conveys something about what we think, how we view the world. Sometimes, when the moment is right, there can be a click. Why work on the surface element, you seem to be asking? Because that's the tangible, therefore a handier lever to use. Again, when the time is right, and the person is ready for that inner click - unlike my friend I mentioned here, who wasn't ready to acknowledge it. Thanks for reading, and engaging!
Loved this. We watch geese, ducks, eagles, vultures, and turkeys on a daily basis. How do the geese and ducks raise as many young that they do without major loss to the eagles? How the vultures find death but ignore some carcasses? (And, yes, vultures kill sometimes, because I watched in horror as they slaughters some of my hens). Why do lec locations stay in the same place over the decades?
I love watching wildlife and may have to check out the ants a little closer! Thanks!
I read Yong’s book a few months ago and enjoyed it immensely. Different sensory capabilities between species is an area of interest for me, beginning with learning about dogs’ tremendous olfactory capacity. Tracking, search and rescue, etc. Anyway I strongly agree that how we speak of things, words we choose, surely steer our minds and frame our reference. Just as your friend using the sea metaphor shaped her outlook. Thanks for your essay.
Thanks so much, Tim! It‘s an amazing, and a wonderful world indeed :)
Beautiful essay about the power of the words we tell ourselves. We think we speak outwardly, but our mind and especially subconscious absorbs the meaning, the metaphors.
Another phrase I'm reminded of is when people use 'I should' / 'I shouldn't', and the advice to replace it with 'I want to' / 'I don't want to'. As in: I should wake up earlier > I want to wake up earlier. It sends a different message to our minds.
Thanks, Monica! Yes, those little details that we never spot unless we're mindful. They build our world, without us knowing.
I love this from beginning to end with only one main complaint. There is so much here to think about that I could have processed it better in pieces, but then again, you tie it up so well at the end.
I love this line: What drives the reader to keep turning page after page is the perpetual wonder
Really enjoyed your exploration into Grandma, and then "life as a choppy sea," and finally "Who and what do you call yourself." Zoe, this is so rich. I am going to have to read it again to make sure I got the most out of it. Wonderful writing!
Thank you SO much, Jill! Yes, Grandma... there should be a novel about her alone... Thanks for reading and aiming to re-read, too! :)
I really enjoyed this article, Zoe. Thank you. I would argue though, that both joy and loss endure. As they should. They provide contrast and insight. I know I wouldn't want to be without one or the other.
And I know you're not suggesting that we do without loss. But it does indeed, endure. For me anyway, it helps provide an emotional complexity that lets me see life as a tapestry. I wouldn't want to be bogged down in loss, as I have been in another past, but neither do I want to relegate it to the back of the shed. It's there, because that's part of life.
I would also argue that loss is only perceived as something we want to minimize exactly because of our reaction to it. I have this weird inversion of senses thing going on, like sensory dyslexia I guess, so what I'm saying may not gong a bell to somebody reading this. I think I probably have emotional dyslexia, too, at least sometimes, and both of these things cycle and swirl. It's what makes life so beautiful and interesting.
I totally understand what you say, Victor. But in that moment, as well as in other similar ones, when I'd told myself the same, it meant that whatever happens, loss is the one that cancels out the other. Whereas I suddenly realised that it was up to me to cancel out the joy before the loss came in. The loss will always be in us, sure... it's just, do we let it define our lives?
I sure hope we don't have loss define our lives, but it does color them, to some extent at least. Some people are better at handling it than others, making loss work for them, in some way. Not saying I'm one of them, but seems I've met people like that.
yeah, absolutely. What I meant is ultimately, it's each of us our own decision...
Did you know that literature is the only place we don't have a parent child winner set for the big prizes.Did you know that literature is the only place we don't have a parent child winner set for the big prizes.
Literature and writing are not equal to your senses. At least not like music, art or science.
Music is sound, art is sight, science/ math are nature.
But literature is not not the understanding of humanity.
Writing is not the innate gift. Understanding emotion That would be psychology.
So what is literature then. Why do we celebrate words as if they too were as beautiful as art or music?
Because words convey emotions like music and art.
Words have many meanings.
They are the same thing as an instrument is for music or a technique for art.
Instruments are many. Words and their styles are many.
But you put in here you think someone's psychology would change if they used different words. I don't understand this at all. The musician is not made by their instruments. Many play many instruments. Words are the same.
I think we put too much value into the tools of emotional expression. But not enough value into the thinkers behind the tool.
If all you have is a hammer then with it everything you will pound.
If all you have is words to convey emotions then I guess words and metaphor will be more important.
But the real question is why don't we have more understanding of it emotions. Why don't we have genius behind the thinkers who make us healthier. Like art and music make thing more beautiful. Have society forgotten what healthy is? Has the focus on average destroyed achieving healthy for everyone.
We have screwed something up when we value the instruments or techniques. The instruments should never be valued more than the music of great composers. The techniques of art should not be. Valued more then the genius artists. The words should not have more value than the insights.
Metaphor is a tool. It's not a the end goal.
We are a messed up society because we have relegated emotion not necessary to cultivate and understand.
I don't know how everyone can miss something so freaking huge.
Literature and writing are not equal to your senses. At least not like music, art or science.
Music is sound, art is sight, science/ math are nature.
But literature is not not the understanding of humanity.
Writing is not the innate gift. Understanding emotion That would be psychology.
So what is literature then. Why do we celebrate words as if they too were as beautiful as art or music?
Because words convey emotions like music and art.
Words have many meanings.
They are the same thing an instrument is for music or a technique for art.
Instruments are many. Words and their styles are many.
But you put in here you think someone's psychology would change if they used different words. I don't understand this at all. The musician is not made by their instruments. Many play many instruments. Words are the same.
I think we put too much value into the tools of emotional expression. But not enough value into the thinkers behind the tool.
If all you have is a hammer then with it everything you will pound.
If all you have is words to convey emotions then I guess words and metaphor will be more important.
But the real question is why don't we have more understanding of emotions. Why don't we have genius behind the thinkers who make us healthier. Like art and music make life more beautiful. Has society forgotten what healthy is? Has the focus on average destroyed achieving healthy for everyone. Have we forgotten to value people who know how to exist well. Without adhering to our societies values of money, power, prestige?
We have screwed something up when we value the instruments or techniques over those playing and composing. The instruments should never be valued more than the music of great composers. The techniques of art should not be valued more then the genius of the artists. The words should not have more value than the insights they convey.
Metaphor is a tool. It's not a the end goal. It is not what scent is to an ant. It is just one of their legs.
We are a messed up society because we have relegated emotion not necessary to cultivate and understand.
I don't know how everyone can miss something so freaking huge.
Hi Lilian, yes, metaphor is a tool, or even more, a signpost. A surface element that conveys something about what we think, how we view the world. Sometimes, when the moment is right, there can be a click. Why work on the surface element, you seem to be asking? Because that's the tangible, therefore a handier lever to use. Again, when the time is right, and the person is ready for that inner click - unlike my friend I mentioned here, who wasn't ready to acknowledge it. Thanks for reading, and engaging!
Loved this. We watch geese, ducks, eagles, vultures, and turkeys on a daily basis. How do the geese and ducks raise as many young that they do without major loss to the eagles? How the vultures find death but ignore some carcasses? (And, yes, vultures kill sometimes, because I watched in horror as they slaughters some of my hens). Why do lec locations stay in the same place over the decades?
I love watching wildlife and may have to check out the ants a little closer! Thanks!
Thanks for reading and responding, Barbara! It’s fascinating to examine wildlife and with that insight to turn to ourselves.