An aspect of our life so common and so used that we forget its value…
When I was young, I was looking for a fitting “measure” by which to form my system of values…, at the time not even I was clear about what I was looking for, I could not manage this formulation, but I could see that people were dissatisfied, in their lives…, I know…, I was precocious…
Because nobody was giving me a “satisfying” answer to my search, which I was not even able to formulate the way you see it now, and if I had been able to formulate it I think more than half of the people asked would not have understood the question, let us not forget that I am generation X…, I turned my attention to old expressions, “from the elders”, as one would say, which travelled for centuries before reaching me, that is, they were fitted and worn by several generations before I heard them, and I began to search for their meaning, and with the help of that meaning to form for myself a “fitting” “measure” of things (in my optics), and so that what is truly important in life would reveal itself…
A great many “sayings from the elders” passed through times in which simple people did not know how to write, were not learned, and I consider that the value of words was greater because they were not used in abundance, and they had weight because it was all they had, and they did not even know how to write them, so people put all the more price on what they said… (from my perspective)…
Now…, we all know how to write and read, very many of us in at least 2 languages, in these times we have an “inflation of words” — used excessively they lose their value, they lose their weight, sometimes they lose their meaning too…, they are used as a “substitute”, changing the meaning and the value of the sentence…, I noticed these things long ago, but when I got to go through other writings of a neuro-linguistic kind I realized the importance of using words in a balanced way, and above all of using the fitting words…
How can you tell the text “with weight” from the text that comes out of inflation…?, I’ll tell you 3 measures that I use:
The proportion of “big” words (words like “maximum”, “mega beautiful” — there is a good chance they were badly chosen; what does “beautiful” still stand for, if “on the market” what circulates is “mega beautiful”);
The proportion of self-excellence [when someone sets himself up as having the “correct” measure of things, and addresses you (somehow) from above];
Observing the direction in which the text urges you…, words that inoculate you with “a shining vision” of yourself — it is clearly an advertisement.
I have noticed that, talking with people, they no longer listen to what you say…, people are (somehow) preset to search behind the words you say, to find the “perfidious motive” you have…, human relationships have deteriorated because of the inflation of words…
Everyone praises the period we live in, we have showers with hot water, we have cars, we have a great many things at the push of a button…, we even have AI, and society “shines”…, or do you have authentic relationships with everyone around you?
I am not trying to convince you. But if you have a measure of your own, I would like to hear it…
Further: Thoughts on human relationships and their naturalness (vs. their toxicity)