Pathwalking 111
Language is not just the words you use.
When we communicate, we do so in many languages, sometimes all at once.
Language is thought, language is action, language is a multi-faceted, nuanced concept. Dictionary.com defines it thus:
noun
1. a body of words and the systems for their use common to a people who are of the same community or nation, the same geographical area, or the same cultural tradition: the two languages of Belgium; a Bantu language; the French language; the Yiddish language.
2. communication by voice in the distinctively human manner, using arbitrary sounds in conventional ways with conventional meanings; speech.
3. the system of linguistic signs or symbols considered in the abstract (opposed to speech ).
4. any set or system of such symbols as used in a more or less uniform fashion by a number of people, who are thus enabled to communicate intelligibly with one another.
5. any system of formalized symbols, signs, sounds, gestures, or the like used or conceived as a means of communicating thought, emotion, etc.: the language of mathematics; sign language.
Language, because it takes so many forms, can communicate mood, attitude, emotion and more. It is a matter of language that often causes us to misconstrue the point we wish to get across.
Language is not purely external. Internal dialogue is a matter of language too. How we think before we communicate is something to be considered.
Often times communication breakdowns occur because of a difference in language. It can be as simple as dialect or a completely different set of words and phrases to as complicated as miscues taken from body language and facial ticks and such.
Pathwalking is a language. It is how I express to the world the idea of consciousness creates reality. I have chosen to create this language to share a concept that is older than old, and I am certainly not the first to express. I believe, however, that one of the reasons more people do not recognize the concept is due to language.
I speak and think and write in English. I know a smattering of a couple other verbal languages. I talk with my hands, and can be hugely expressive as such. Beyond this, there are other body movements, attitudes, facial expressions that also convey a language which not everyone will read the same.
People spend a great deal of time talking about communications. Communication is extremely important to just about every aspect of life you can think of. When it comes to relationships, business or professional, when it comes to expressing needs and wants it all boils down to communication.
However we often overlook language. The language we use in our communications can have a very different effect and meaning that our intent may have been. Trouble is, even speakers of the same language often miscommunicate. This may be due to dialect, or it may be due to a different take on how to connect in the chosen language on a personal level. For example, what I consider a harmless gesture someone else may see as aggressive, while someone else may see it as an invitation that it is not.
The point of this topic is to be mindful. Mindful not only of your communications, but also of the language in which you communicate.
Recently a lot of attention has been paid to an advertisement where the song America the Beautiful was sung in a whole bunch of different languages. The message being communicated by this was intent on exploring the notion that All Are One. No matter where we originate, Americans are all Americans. What has come of this, unfortunately, is many have taken it to be divisive and argumentative and they utterly misunderstood what was being communicated. Rather than the languages used broadcasting unity, as was the intent, to some it communicated division.
No matter the languages you communicate, being mindful of the message you wish to send is important. Be aware that even if those around you speak the same language, you could still be communicating rather differently.
Lastly – be aware of what languages you communicate to yourself. If you say you want to be open and friendly but hold yourself aloof and in a standoffish manner, you become a contradiction. Language matters, no matter what form it takes, both externally and internally.
How many languages do you use every day?
This is the one-hundred eleventh entry in my series. These weekly posts are specifically about walking along the path of life, and my desire to make a difference in this world along the way. Thank you for joining me.
The first year of Pathwalking is available in print and for your Kindle.
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