That's right people. Language is flawed. There are lots and lots of people who talk about this, it's not just me. Siddhartha mentions it too. He says Chapter 12, "Govinda," he explains how "words do not express thoughts very well. They always become a little different immediately they are expressed, a little distorted, a little foolish" (117). Not only Siddhartha, but even the French philosopher Ferdinand de Saussure philosophized on lanugages inability to truly convey "aboslute" meaning. And it's true: when you think of the word chair, what do you picture?
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I bet most all of you pictured different chairs: a sofa, a nice cozy recliner, a desk, a fancy dining room table chair, a lawn chair, etc, etc. That's why language is flawed. Because even the word chair creates a different image in the mind of the reader. So now what?
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Can I leave a comment on your teacher blog?
So now what? I want to tell you that there is hope! There are literally hundreds of other words you can use to describe exactly what type of chair you would like me to picture. I could tell you it was a side chair, an arm chair, a wing chair, a wooden chair, a ladder back chair, a windsor chair, upholstered chair, tulip chair, or as my students are all aware my all time favorite chair in the whole world: The Barcelona chair designed by Mies van der Rohe. (note: I edited this list of chairs down significantly)
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