tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3334391160365031546.post8861847072003011585..comments2023-10-10T05:17:55.737-07:00Comments on Crushed By Ingsoc: The Duplicities of Speech and SpeakerCrushedhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02479751225625007588noreply@blogger.comBlogger5125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3334391160365031546.post-30836843655341064132008-08-21T14:57:00.000-07:002008-08-21T14:57:00.000-07:00Whatever the deficiencies in language it is the ne...Whatever the deficiencies in language it is the nearest thing we have to telepathy. I find the written word is the best way to see the world through another's eyes.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3334391160365031546.post-22286252860366686572008-08-21T21:28:00.000-07:002008-08-21T21:28:00.000-07:00It's the Orwellian thing, again. Orwell didn't ob...It's the Orwellian thing, again. Orwell didn't object to changes in language, or the evolution of language. What he forsaw, what he fretted, was that language would become meaningless. <br><br>A sound-byte culture operates almost identically to Newspeak. If I wanted to express displeasure with Big Brother, for example, I can only say that he is double-plus non-good. Yet I would lack the ability (because of the lack of language) to explain why, or to persuade people otherwise. <br><br>Likewise, in a sound-byte culture, we can make statements. Yet either we, or the listener/reader, lack the time to explain why. So we develop buzzwords, shorthands, etc.<br><br>We also begin to rely on Dogma, because that's a self-encrypted system of meaning.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3334391160365031546.post-48318412355849733292008-08-22T09:53:00.000-07:002008-08-22T09:53:00.000-07:00A Matrix, yes, well, everything is kind of a matri...A Matrix, yes, well, everything is kind of a matrix. even our own thought processes are a matrix, an evolved structure. Human society is a matrix too, a matrix consisiting of us all pressing eachothers buttons.<br><br>I have often thought, taking Orwell's thoughts on language further that it is no coincidence that English became the lingua Franca.<br><br>Having the English language as the mode of thought, was possibly one thingt that led to to the poltical and scientific advances that made the speakers of English at one time, global leaders. Greater nuance of thought is possible for someone who thinks in English.<br><br>But is language a barrier to conceptualisition? Sometimes, yes.<br><br>Sometimes there are cincepts which no matter how much language is used, merely being able to use the language to explain these things, doesn't actually mean conceptual understanding. This is most notable in science. Generally speaking, the logical implications of most scientific theories aren't appreciated at the time of their propounding, possibly because even the propounders understand them more in linguistic than conceptual terms.<br><br>For example, I think many people convince themselves linguistically that they understand a universe that is limitless but finite.<br><br>But I'm not actually sure they really conceptualise it.<br><br>And seeing economic arguments which just refuse to understand the simple point that you cannot maintain perpetual 'growth' in a finite world is another case.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3334391160365031546.post-8280297784895623952008-08-22T16:26:00.000-07:002008-08-22T16:26:00.000-07:00some great blog posts but they are ssooo long :-(...some great blog posts but they are ssooo long :-(Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3334391160365031546.post-28345310854832313992008-08-22T22:19:00.000-07:002008-08-22T22:19:00.000-07:00Hmmmm... I don't think knowledge can change hearts...Hmmmm... I don't think knowledge can change hearts. it's love that does that.<br><br>We have so much knowledge now, but we're not much better off than in the past, except that we find better ways of fighting our wars <br>(and yet, we've never left the old way, of violencce).<br><br>Kev is right; to see how someone really thinks, it's good to see how they write. I express my thoughts better in writing than words, 'cos they dun have to be filtered through the barriers of my inadequacies (guess it's cos you CAN hide behind a screen).<br><br>I like the John Lennon quote :-)<br><br>And you've got a very good point about not running around chasing after hidden knowledge; we don't know everything, but we do know enough to go on by :-)Anonymousnoreply@blogger.com