Language

Two things caught my interest today:

1. This article: http://www.cnn.com/2011/LIVING/08/10/handwriting.horror/index.html?iref=obnetwork


2. My friend Amanda's comment on my chat status: "Stop using big words"

Now, it is a paradox that I critique those two things. I hand-write like an engineer and Amanda is a highly intelligent person who will more than likely push her kids to do things like have good handwriting and a strong vocabulary.

That being said, it still irks me how much I don't see that happening around me. When I was hiring a minion earlier this year (OK fine, "intern"), I was amazed at the poorly constructed the emails I received. These were Masters level kids, who supposedly are coached up by career people and they wrote like I was inviting them to a kegger at my house.

The same drivel has crept into all aspects of how we communicate. Spewing rancor is more effective than presenting a coherent point; verbal communication has become so cumbersome that everything must fall into 100 character texts and twits; if in the unlikely event something is written, it seeks to inflame emotions over inspiring the soul; and don't get me started on Internet comments.

They say write what you know. I tend to write what I do because I can only "know" so much at any given moment in time. I believe it is a privilege to get to express my thoughts, opinions, and experiences without censor. And I believe that right bears the responsibility of good-faith conjecture. It's too bad I also believe I'm in the minority.