Categories: uncategorized
Tags: Meaning
Date: 26 August 2010 09:56:25
Often we use the same words as other people but attach different meanings to them. Words have universal meanings as set down in dictionaries for example, but individuals experiences and dialects will attach different meanings to them. So while we may think that we are being clear about what we mean, others will interpret the words completely differently, for a range of reasons. A light hearted example of this was told to me by someone at work (T). T had been visiting her sister (M) who now lives down south. M had asked T if she wanted to go shopping, T not really wanting a day trailing round the shops looking at clothes etc had said no. When M returned from the supermarket, T commented if i'd known you were going for the messages and not shopping i'd have come with you. I was then asked what word i'd have used and said I'd have used the word grocery shopping, or food shopping. This is just a light hearted example of how words need to have agreed meaning to have value. In this context it was unimportant, but what about when we think that the words we are using have agreed meaning, and that we are all using the same agreed meaning, but we're not leading to misunderstanding and miscommunication? When someone feels vulnerable and hurt not because someone has deliberately upset them but because the shared meaning of words was taken for granted when it shouldn't have been.