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A lot of what I'm going to say has already been said. By me, but also by some others. The most recent I've heard, and my current favorite, is Erin McKean's talk at Google, "Verbatim". It's a little under an hour long, but she goes through much of what I have to say more humorously (and in slightly more detail). "Verbatim" - Erin McKean - Google Video Here's my thesis: Definitions are arbitrary. Entirely arbitrary. Words mean anything and everything you want them to. If you agree with this, then I'm only providing facts; if you disagree, read on. My objective is to explain why I harp on definitions so often. I begin with linguistics: an excerpt from Chaucer's Cantebury Tales: Quote:
![]() Source: The Bloom is not a Bloom Or sign language: Sutton Signwriting So concludes my first argument: words are malleable. They are infinitely malleable. And if something is so malleable, how can it have a fixed definition? Thus, any definition has, at best, a lifespan longer than yours. At worst, it will mean something else the next time you hear it. Does "flame" mean your latest girlfriend or what you use to boil water? I'll come back to this. Next, let's turn to the art of lexicography. In contrast to the Wikipedia article, I will put forward two types of dictionaries: prescriptivist and descriptivist. These are linguistic techniques, of course, but that's beside the point. The iconic prescriptivist lexicographer, for me, is Noah Webster. His Wikipedia article says, "Webster dedicated his Speller and Dictionary to providing an intellectual foundation for American nationalism." Have you ever wondered why the British spell words funny? "Colour" instead of "color", for instance? Webster was responsible. Most dictionaries, on the other hand, are descriptivist. How so? How is a dictionary compiled? The process is actually rather straight-forward, if time-consuming and tedious for all but the most dedicated. A lexicographer reads. A lot. They find thousands of examples of a word in usage--in living text, so to speak--and abstract their understanding of each word into a description, or definition, of that word. Does that honestly sound like an authority to you? A dictionary definition is, in other words, some group's opinion of how most people use it most of the time. You can't be sure when, exactly, that was; if a dictionary has 10,000 words, when do you think each was last researched? You know what nice means, right? Check out its entry in the OED. If I recall correctly, it's three pages long. This is my second argument: dictionaries are unreliable, because they are written by people. While they may be divided into 66 books and as many authors, they are not divinely inspired, as far as any religious group has claimed. (Though when I see the rise of the Cult of the Lexicographer, I think I will just run.) And if you happen to be a Judeo-Christian: thou shalt have no idols, no other gods before me. Worship not thy Dictionary, though thou shalt continue to eat thy daily Word. A dictionary is wrong, unless you already agree with it. It is not an authority. As McKean says (paraphrased), "Look up your favorite word. See if you agree with the definition." For my next act, I'm going to anticipate an objection. For this, we go back to linguistics. What is the purpose of language? What is language? Language is a (1) vocabulary and (2) grammar for the purpose of (3) communication. Each of these three things are necessary for a system to be a language. A programming language is such because it communicates instructions from a human programmer to a computer-run interpreter, compiler, or assembler. Slang, and vulgarities, are part of language because it communicates something, and has restricted uses. People who violate those restrictions (grammatical) are usually shrugged off by the culture as posers. What role does a definition play in this? They connect words (parts of a vocabulary) to actual meaning. The word "shred" means one thing to an XML programmer (extracting the elements from a document) and another thing to an office worker (destroying a physical document). From one XML programmer to another, they understand the word "shred". But if an XML programmer emailed an XML file to an office worker and said, "Shred this, please," the office worker would be deeply confused. Thus, in order for communication to occur successfully, the words used by both participants (both sender and receiver) must refer to reasonably similar meanings. That is to say, their definitions have to be similar. That is what a dictionary is: it's a way for one person to say, "This is what I mean by 'shred'." This is why "flame" may refer to either a person or a fire. It depends entirely on context. Communication is a transmission of information, and all information comes inside a context. If a mutual friend comes up and asks, "How is Alex's latest flame?", (assuming Alex isn't a pyromaniac) we can safely suppose he's talking about a person. On the other hand, if my friend says, "Turn the flame down," he probably isn't talking about Patricia. And that is my third argument: definitions must be agreed upon for words to be useful. I refer to this as a shared culture. Two people share the same culture when they use the same word in the same manner. What was the objection I was answering, you might be wondering? It's, "If words are malleable and dictionaries are unreliable, how is it anyone understands me when I say anything?" Because we share the same culture. This entire essay would be gibberish to Chaucer, you know. So, hopefully, using my three arguments, I've shown that there's a need to agree on definitions when opening into a discussion. This is something that philosophers and scientists are constantly doing. In science, they do it at the beginning of their papers, explaining what they're measuring and how and why. In philosophy, they're establishing what they're talking about as a premise. In my experience, many, many disagreements can be traced back to a disagreement in definition. A person might view a marriage as a union of companions and their spouse might view it as a way to get a green card. And, unless they learn of this and reconcile their beliefs--their definitions--openly, their marriage will fall apart. I'm not suggesting that a perfect word-to-meaning lexicon will solve the world's problems, but it would certainly make it possible to actually talk.
__________________ Currently reading: The Science of Fear |
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Great post, Michael. Very well thought out. I agree with a lot of it, especially the part about word definitions being arbitrary, and the part about it being absolutely necessary that communicators agree upon their definitions in the context of discussion. That said, I have a few points to make. If words are infinitely malleable (and I agree they are), then it is impossible to accurately define one. There will be no such thing as a factual definition of a word. Therefore, it all comes down to someone's opinion. All we can hope for is an agreement of definition. (Luckily this works well for discussion purposes.) If it is impossible to accurately define a word, then I suggest that a dictionary is as fine a place to look as anywhere for pre-written definitions with which we can all agree. As an example, when you asked for a definition from me a while back, I Googled it and got my list of definitions from different sources. I went through that list and found the one I most agreed with and offered it to you. Your first response was that you didn't like my source (dictionary). I think that is an illogical response. All we need to do is agree or disagree because the source of an arbitrary definition is irrelevant. If I found the definition on the side of a cereal box, yet we could agree upon it for the purposes of our discussion, then bingo. It works. See? IMO, dictionaries are time-savers. They prevent me from having to reinvent the wheel. I would also question why you think dictionaries are so worthless, yet you seem to find great value in Wikipedia. It is also written by humans, but often by humans with little or no expertise in the area about which they write. (My question, in this regard, is more out of curiosity, though, because I truly believe that as long as we can agree on a definition, the source is irrelevant.) Ok, next point. While I think that making sure that you mean "flame" like fire and I mean "flame" like fire is absolutely necessary for a meaningful discussion, I also think this can be taken too far. If I tell you that my definition of "flame" is a luminous body of burning gas or vapor, and your response is to ask me to define "luminous", "body", "burning", "gas", and "vapor", this is going to lead us down a bottomless pit. I think that once we agree that we are both talking about flame being the fire kind of flame, that should be enough. Don't you? And if you disagree, please tell me where you think the definitions of definitions should end. One last thing. I'm thinking that this whole definitions thing can be taken too far when used unnecessarily. That point is illustrated in my previous paragraph. It can also be a waste of time to demand definitions that are already clear. Let's say that I make the statement, "I love the lighting offered by a candle's flame." It would be unreasonable (and unnecessary) for you to ask me to define any of the words in that sentence because their context makes it clear what I am talking about. Any further information, such as my definition of "candle", is going to be minutia, and not only will that be useless to our discussion, it will also likely be distracting and confusing as well. So, what do you think? |
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We all have our Personal Rules on most subject... Take sport as an example... one person's rule may be that "You must win at all cost." Another person's rule could be that, "Sport is just for fun and there is no need to kill yourself in trying to win." Now, if these two persons are on the same team... there is bound to be some disagreement... The problem with "Personal Rules" is that we all feel that they are universal and the same for everyone... sadly... they obviously are not... . |
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Dictionaries are time-savers, to be sure. And that's why it's worthwhile to use them at all; certainly, I use them, too. But when the question of definition arises at all, especially on the Internet, it means that the dictionary is something that's deliberately not being used, because the popular definition is simply not good enough, especially when it's being put together by people who aren't participating in the discussion. Lexicographers are not philosophers or theologians: it must be asked, then, why should I accept their definition of free will? The question of the thread wasn't answerable with a simple look-up. That's why it was worth talking about at all. Quote:
Take a look at Wikipedia:No original research - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia Quote:
See discussions (to use a mild term) on God. Steve Carrell: "What part of 'There is no God but Allah and Mohammed is his Prophet' don't you understand?" Quote:
Let's say we were a clandestine organization. What is "candle" did not actually refer to a physical candle, but rather a symbolic one? Maybe it's a metaphor for a piece of propaganda. Perhaps the "lighting" refers to how widespread it is, and thus your love for it actually signifies that you admire how far it's been distributed. Thus, "I love the lighting offered by a candle's flame," might actually mean, "I admire how widely you've distributed 'Common Sense' among the patriots." On the other hand, if I said, "I use a flame to cook the beef," the person I was speaking to might look at it and say, "That's not a flame, that's a bonfire!", even though we both knew that it wasn't a person. That's not a philosophical debate, though.
__________________ Currently reading: The Science of Fear |
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Ah, now that is another matter entirely! I had no idea. If I offer you a definition with which you disagree, wouldn't it make more sense to come out and directly say so, and then state your argument (perhaps with a definition of your own), instead of having me attempt to define all the words in a definition you disagree with? Quote:
Further, when I offer Webster's definition of anything, I am offering it with the implication that I agree with it within the present discussion. Therefore, it may as well be mine. And, there's not a thing in the world that says you have to accept that definition, regardless of where it comes from. (I will say that I'll be a whole lot less cranky if you don't like Webster's definition of something as opposed to a definition I spent an hour trying to come up with myself! LOL) Again, if I offer a definition that you disagree with, I think it will be a lot more productive for you to respond with a definition you agree with and give me the opportunity to agree or disagree. Because, after all, most of our discussions are not about the actual definitions. Well, except this one, of course. Quote:
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(OMG that was a funny sketch!) Quote:
Jeesh! Well, I spent my morning allotment on this! I need to go get some stuff done! Have a great day! |
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You're preaching to the converted here. People don't pay enough attention to what words mean anymore. Our language is getting extremely convoluted with corporate and political speak that doesn't really say anything.
__________________ Pick the Brain An Analytical Approach to Self Improvement www.pickthebrain.com If you love Steve's blog, I think you'll love mine too. I have a different style, but we both share a passion for honest, intelligent writing and continuous improvement. Take a minute to check it out! |
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| Well, didn't the fact that I continued to ask suggest that? Either I didn't understand (which I assumed), or I didn't agree. Quote:
More to the point, I prefer to speak in someone else's language. It forces me to think about how they think, and to try to understand that person and to re-examine my own ideas in their light before I showcase them. I'm usually unsuccessful, but practice makes better. You could have asked me to do it. Or asked why I was asking. Quote:
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The definition of love that I pointed to took me seven years. I would certainly be cranky if someone thought poorly of it without actually explaining why. (I wouldn't if they gave me constructive criticism, which I've received some of and included.) Quote:
It's not a mere indulgence. It's an acknowledgement and exercise of one's free will fully expressed, expanding one's choices beyond the mere influence of the culture and society in which they were raised. It's what personal development is. Just look at the debate over lightworkers and darkworkers, back when Steve showcased the terms. The problem was ultimately definition. Were they really talking about lightworkers and darkworkers? No, not really. But the lack of definition meant that they thought they were talking to people about the same topic when they were actually discussing completely different topics. And I have to say: that's not productive. There's a story about two men who had a sawing contest, to go through several pieces of wood faster than the other. One man worked through the day, sawing and sawing. The other stopped at noon and sharpened his tool, losing time. But we're not that surprised to discover he won anyways. I'm sure you know the moral as well as I do. Quote:
When everyone believes they understand. Quote:
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But less clear are terms like "free will" or "God" or "duty". In these cases, the confusion isn't an ambiguity of definition, which can be answered by context, but rather the very lack of a definition. Example: Can God be defined? Some theological doctrine states that God is infinite, unknowable, inconceivable, boundless, etc. Thus, God Himself (or Itself, if you prefer) is paradoxically the definition of undefinability. And yet, the notion of "sin", "Satan", and "evil", as defined as not-God, immediately present God as something definable, because there are things that God is not, and thus a boundary thus exists. And the boundary itself is the definition. Just as you cannot talk about flames in general without clearing up the ambiguity between person and fire, so you also can't talk about flames without first establishing what they are. As demonstrated in the distinction between, say, a blowtorch and a bonfire, we may consider one to be a flame and the other not. And only from an agreement of definition can we say things like, "Flames are useful for welding metal." A bonfire certainly is not. So, it's not just that you have to establish what something is in reference to all the other things it could be; you have to establish what something is, period.
__________________ Currently reading: The Science of Fear |
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Firstly, I'd like to voice my objection to long posts. Now that we have that out of the way .... Quote:
Coming at this from a background in computer programming, I'd say no. Certain words are deprecated, no longer in use, have different meanings in different usages, etc, but they are still eminently useful. And you MUST know the definition in order to be able to use them effectively. Quote:
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I agree that there's a need to agree on definitions when opening a discussion, but I disagree with some of the points in your arguments. |
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And I have a background in computer programming, too. Quote:
It amuses me that you decided not to ask. Or to provide your own. But I guess that would have made your post too long?
__________________ Currently reading: The Science of Fear |
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It might be useful for you to understand that, when I first came to post to these forums several weeks back, I was recovering from surgery and had (much) more-than-usual "butt time". Now that I am nearly fully recovered, my life is getting back to its original busy-ness. I have many passions that take precedence (for me) over my interest in philosophy and debate. I am (NNiTO) a homeschooling parent, a spouse, a writer, an artist, an aspiring healer, a student of Joy, a photographer, and a web designer. Lately, I've had an average of about an hour a day to actually read and write within the discussions on these lovely boards. With that kind of limitation, choosing to respond to one of your massive (and quite brilliant) arguments, is often a choice to only participate in that particular discussion for that day. That's a difficult choice when there are other threads around that interest me as well. Regardless of my own interests and priorities, I do respect your passion for argument, and again, if I said anything that you took as belittlement, please forgive. Quote:
I don't think we disagree on this. However, I would request, in the interest of time, that we agree to be more direct in what it is we are after in a discussion. Let's agree to keep suggestive implications down to a low roar. (If we must use them at all.) I understand your desire to learn what another person thinks of a thing, and I think you can still attain that, but if I offer you a definition you disagree with, just tell me so and offer up yours. I'll do the same. Okay? |
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Maybe we should just come up with a bunch of new words to fit different scenarios to replace words that have more than one definition. I'm sure we could invent enough new words so we don't become confused by a word's definition, or at least not *as* confused.
__________________ Lightning Shock - My Website Wordpress Mountain - Wordpress Resources and Community |
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