The Limit of Language

Are words enough to express an idea? Can letters on a page really accurately portray a thought?

There’s a limit to the power of words. As much as I try to explain my thoughts in the simplest way possible, there is still a degree that is open to misinterpretation.

Some of the most beautiful minds, authors throughout the course of history, tried to explain a concept to a larger audience, and despite the clarity of their words, not everyone could possibly understand the point they were trying to make.

Words are limiting. They can only go so far. Words can attempt to describe a feeling, but they will never embody the actual sensation one feels. Words can attempt to describe a thought, but from the author’s mind to the page to the reader’s mind, meaning is bound to be lost along the way.

I write because I want to draw a direct line between my mind and the minds of others. I wonder how direct that line is, though. Is it a straight highway? Are there potholes in the road? Is there traffic getting in the way of a smooth ride? It’s hard to know.

Maybe this misinterpretation makes words a bit dangerous. If they’re not portrayed accurately, then people can shift the meaning to fit their own agenda.

One of the most influential books of all time is the Bible. Regardless of whether or not one is religous, the impact of this book can be seen in nearly every one of our lives. This book is reflected in many of laws we have to this day. It impacts how we view the world.

And everytime the Bible was translated to a different language, a bit of meaning was lost along the way. No translation is perfect, and the limit of words suddenly became much smaller through each iteration.

The Bible was used in quite dangerous ways throughout the course of history. The Bible told women they were created to serve men. The Bible condemned homosexuality. The Bible established sex as something sinful. The list goes on and on.

The Bible was used to justify structures of power in our world. The ways people chose to interpret God placed certain people at the top and others at the bottom. Christianity was used to “save the savages.” It was used to imperialize and colonize groups of people and their land.

Maybe God is real, who knows really? Personally I believe that our minds are not advanced enough to fully understand how this whole universe thing started.

But my opinion on that doesn’t really matter because nobody knows the truth until they die.

We attempt to use words to convey the overall meaning of life, the beginning of our creation, and the end of our lives through this book. But, are we really interpreting it correctly? What did the author want us to know, and will we ever accurately understand the original thought the produced it?