Dana Lynn Pope, Writer, Editor, Proofreader, Philologist
Miscommunicationology – Optimizing communication for efficiency and effectiveness
Best Newbie NonFiction
Best Cover Design
When people talk with each other today it’s common not to say what we mean. That’s not such an unheard of idea.
Honey, do these jeans make me look fat?
No.
[It’s your butt that makes your jeans look fat but I can’t say that.]
Would you like to go out again?
Yes.
[He never heard from her again.]
He’s a really great worker.
[I’m glad he’s out of my department. He wasn’t a good employee.]
It’s easier to say what we think someone wants to hear instead of saying what we actually mean. We hope to avoid hurting another person or the confrontation that might ensue. We answer by the painless way out. We want to get our way so we gloss over the truth. These are common practices in our communication and it’s considered acceptable. It’s delivering a message by using words that hide our true thoughts.
That is one way to use language to our benefit. Another way is by changing definitions of words in order to con others. People use the new definitions to deceive you and you don’t know it. It has been happening for years yet most people aren’t aware of it.
Ever wonder why the person you are talking to didn’t understand what you said? It’s because they think you are saying something else. Since Noah Webster’s 1828 American Dictionary of the English Language, the definitions of words have changed. We expect that to happen as we invent new things, as slang words are created, and to keep up with the times. Consequently, new words are needed to name them.
Adding words for these reasons is understandable. Changing definitions of words is difficult to grasp. In Webster’s first dictionary the word “definition” is described as “a brief description of a thing by its properties; the explication of the essence of a thing by its kind and difference.” The definition represents the core of what a word is. To create his dictionary, Webster looked at 26 dictionaries in different languages to determine the origin of each word. His goal was to capture the essence of the word.
Yet definitions are changing from what we thought a word meant. “Truth” went from an “indisputable fact” to an “accepted fact.” What was once the real state of things is now whatever people will allow. “Reality” used to mean “fact” and now means “a resemblance to being real.” No longer does it mean what actually happened. Reality is what anyone wants it to be. The word “Lie” means “to make an untrue statement.” If what is true is what we allow and what happened is somewhat similar to what actually happened, isn’t that a lie? [I use the word lie since the words fake and phony aren’t in Webster’s dictionary.] Continue reading “They Think You Are Saying Something Else”
It’s interesting to see how the word truth has changed and fascinating to see that no one noticed. We would all say that we know what truth is. But the definition has been modified and it has a huge impact on our lives. The change, done ever so covertly, has us associating truth with our original definition, not knowing that it really means something else. This was done in an effort to maneuver the way people think and how people act.
There are similarities between Webster’s definition and the one we have today. Both state that truth is the “real state of things, exactness, and a verified or indisputable fact.” The definition lets us know that truth is constant; it doesn’t change by situation or opinion. Truth is what is and nothing else.
Since the definitions of words are changing do you know what you are really saying?
Aubrey “DRAKE” Graham is a Grammy-Award winning R&B/Hip-Hop artist. His unique style of soft rap that deals with difficult subjects has propelled him on Billboard charts. Recently his work was rewarded when he received 13 awards at the 2017 Billboard Music Awards. This is the greatest number of accolades ever given to an artist in a single year at this event.
Thirteen awards means giving thirteen acceptance speeches. The one that stands out is the second one. After giving shout-outs of appreciation to Vanessa Hudgens, Nicki Minaj and Ludacris, Drake gave a shout-out to his father, Dennis Graham.
Drake’s dad, a drummer who worked with Jerry Lee Lewis, attended the event wearing a purple suit and purple shoes. He looked exceptional. Drake yelled out to his father, “Boy, if you don’t stop!” That started a frenzy of comments because of the phrase. Continue reading “BOY IF YOU DON’T STOP”
The definitions of words are changing. Truth used to mean an “indisputable fact.” Now it means anything that will be “accepted as fact.” There are those who are aware of the change and those who are not. When you speak you don’t know what definition they are using and they don’t know your definition. Communication is becoming lost since we don’t have a common language.
In my blog, THEY THINK YOU ARE SAYING SOMETHING ELSE,”we look at the problems that are occurring today.
Pope, Dana Lynn (2017-05-05). Who’s Changing the Meaning? Dana Lynn Pope, LLC. Kindle Edition.
In Who’s Changing the Meaning, Dana Pope explains in striking clarity the importance of integrity in language and its relationship to what is at stake in western civilization. While meanings do expand and multiply over time through normal transitions, today our language is undergoing revision by many whose primary purpose is not to communicate honestly, but to spin and manipulate! Continue reading “BOOK REVIEW by Richard Waguespack, Ph.D., LCSW May 19, 2017”
There are some definitions you will need to know as I use them often: Self-Serving, Sheeple, and Enlightened.
Preoccupied with one’s own interests, disregarding the concerns, needs, well-being, etc., of others; serving to further one’s own selfish pursuits; habitually seeking one’s own advantage, especially at the expense of others. They reject the existence of truth.
Generally, the Self-Serving force their own agenda and ideologies on the unsuspecting. They plan to make official their way of thinking. The goal is to drive the behavior of all others, to get people to think their way. They do this stealthily and slowly so people will not see it coming. Although it is a lengthy process, the unsuspecting will not notice how far they have drifted from the original.
If people were deceiving you right to your face would you want to know? That’s not such an unheard of idea. When people talk with each other today it’s common not to say what we mean.
Honey, do these jeans make me look fat?
No.
[It’s your butt that makes your jeans look fat but I can’t say that.]
Would you like to go out again?
Yes.
[He never heard from her again.]
He’s a really great worker.
[I’m glad he’s out of my department. He wasn’t a good employee.]
It’s easier to say what we think someone wants to hear instead of saying what we think. We want to avoid hurting another person or the confrontation that might ensue. We want to get our way so we gloss over the truth. Taking the painless way out is just easier. In our communication theses practices are common and it’s considered acceptable. It’s delivering a message by using words that hide our true thoughts.
