Words.

Recently I have just been wishing that I had a switch on the back of my neck labeled “JUDGMENT.”  Every human experience is an inevitable judgment. As much as we like to think of ourselves as impartial and fair, the brain is an active force. It is simply not possible for it to receive information and not incorporate it into our bank of memories and schemas.

Our brains are complex, but so is everything else. There are very few things in existence that can be fully described with just words. What are words? They are just randomly selected inky lines on a page, or meaningless sound waves from a human throat. It makes me uncomfortable when people around me call others things like “stupid,” “bitch,” “boring,” etc. I’m guilty of this too, and I don’t like it. One cannot possibly capture the essence of a person with simple name calling. How can a few simple syllables describe this person, or even your feelings for this person? Only you know what you feel, but the words don’t contain your meaning. The words contain the meanings of you and him and her and everyone else who has ever used them. Your words will be heard, but they won’t be yours anymore.

That’s why I’m proposing a word revolution of sorts. Stop ascribing so much importance to words. Stop making promises. No more name-calling. No more small talk. Share your skin and share your memories. Don’t trash talk others. It doesn’t mean anything because everyone knows that these words don’t mean these people. If you must, share how you feel. Cry together and laugh together. Our emotions keep us together, not the promises and not the words. The words only wedge us apart because the words are never right. Emotions run deep, and they will never be false. 

-T.