On Sun, Sep 2, 2012 at 7:57 AM, <[email protected]> wrote: > In a message dated 8/31/12 6:49:54 PM, [email protected] writes: > > > "I take it Cheerskep agrees with my statement where I mention that any word > will > elicit some meaning. When a person responds to a word by saying it's > meaningless, he is right to the extent that all words are in themselves > meaningless. In another sense he is saying that he doesn't understand the > context with word addresses. But in his brain many meanings for the word > have > already reached consciousness" > > Agreed, in large part. William, our wording is not "wrong"; but it tends to > obscure a distinction I was trying to stress. Instead of saying, "Cheerskep > agrees that any word will elicit some meaning", I'd say, "Cheerskep agrees > that any word will elicit some notion." > > I know I'm not going to eradicate the word 'meaning' from all discussion. > It is too ingrained in our way of talking. So I figure I'd better > accommodate > my phrasing. > > I know that many people will insist on saying the likes of, "Whatever comes > to my mind when I hear a word is the word's 'meaning for me'." So I use the > phrase 'meaning for me' - with the understanding that it's my phrase for > the notion occasioned by hearing/reading an utterance or scription. > > That "notion" is not to be confused with any mind-independent, "real", > "correct" THE MEANING OF the "word". > > I disapprove of seeming to use the same word for two different things, but > experience tells me that, when advancing a radically new theory, it's best > to do it while using as many familiar words as possible. Otherwise you risk > coming across as plain old wacky. I'm not sure of this, William, but I > think > it's possible you and I are the only members of this forum who believe > words > do not have an intrinsic, mind-independent "meaning". > > When it comes to words and meanings:
- Some men dont have the vocabulary to describe emotions clearly. Heres an analogy. My wife can easily distinguish between sea mist, pea and grass green paint. To me they are all just light green. Olive and forest green are dark green to me. I recognize the various shades, but I dont have different names for them. So maybe the girlfriend is saying sea mist and the boyfriend is saying light green. They both might mean the same thing, or not, but the boyfriend cant explain it any better. He literally doesnt have the vocabulary to describe it any better. http://www.washingtonpost.com/lifestyle/style/carolyn-hax-reader-advice-on-be ing-in-love/2012/08/30/7b85dab2-e71f-11e1-a3d2-2a05679928ef_story.html
