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Thursday, February 4, 2016

Water

The very ink with which history is written is merely fluid prejudice.
~ Mark Twain

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Wow.  That is a really good quote.  It's true.  We can't write about events or people or ourselves objectively. It is a myth and an exercise in futility to even try. The words we choose convey our opinions and don't paint the whole picture. Maybe don't even paint some of the picture. Or maybe it's not painting - maybe it's drawing or photographing or singing or dancing. I don't know. I do know that the words we choose matter.

Even when we aren't intentionally conveying images or biases, words carry meaning for others. You might choose what you think is the best descriptor of an event, but because of additional meaning (biases, lived experiences) others will project meaning (intended or not) onto the language you chose.

For example choosing the word "smart" over the word "brilliant." They are similar, but convey different things.  Or maybe "artsy" vs. "creative." Or "quiet" as opposed to "reserved." Another example might be "marinate or "urinate." Again, similar, but their meanings are very different.

(pause)

For the record, I think this was just water on a table not marinade or urine. I didn't check that closely, though.

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