For the past year I have been working on learning Chinese. It is fun and not easy, and in the process it has made me think about grammar choices in English and how our language can shape us. Specifically how we use certain language to assert our thoughts or how we don’t want things to offend us or otherwise. What fascinates me is the often miss use of the word “belief”. Here is the definition (from google):
be·lief
/bəˈlēf/
noun
- an acceptance that a statement is true or that something exists.
“his belief in the value of hard work”
- trust, faith, or confidence in someone or something.
“a belief in democratic politics”
Often people can say that they don’t believe in something that is demonstrably true. For example Birth Control. In this case you aren’t using the language correctly. Birth control exists and it works quite well for most that use it. What most people mean or are getting at really is their principles, which are fine. However, in this case what these folks mean to say is “I don’t practice or use birth control and want other people to do the same”. It is odd, but changing the language can quickly change our discussions. Using the term Estate Tax generates very different feelings than Death Tax. Also the Affordable Care Act has very different emotional baggage than Obama Care. Those terms both are explaining the same thing.
Think about the language that you use with yourself and you use with others. How are you using language to sabotage yourself or your relationships? How often do you use negative self-talk like; “I can’t” when what you really mean is “I won’t”. How you speak to yourself and others that creates self-fulfilling prophecies and built in limiters to your own potential? Thanks as always for reading, and I hope this makes you think a bit more about how language shapes your life.
havebeltwilltravel 