Words Don't Mean Words

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For as long as history has been recalled communications plays a key factor of how the nations around the world deal with conflict. Even the difference between a few words can separate war from peace. In Steven Pinker’s article Words Don’t Mean What they Mean, he identifies the problems and how they can easily be avoided. The Stuff of Thought also written by Steven Pinker discusses the severe importance of words. How if the point is placed on the wrong word, it could have a totally different meaning and possible connotations. It may be difficult to reach an understanding if the words and its meanings are not clear by the improper choices mades by man. In Words Don’t Mean What They Mean, Pinker says “When people talk, they lay lines on each other, do a lot of role playing, sidestep shillyshally and engage in all manner of vagueness and innuendo.” In Pinkers work, it is concluded through many examples that people do not go straight to the point. Thus making man hypocritical, we do not go thought to the point however we wish for others to, never giving it themselves but expecting it in return. Look back into history, the monarchs of the works, kings, queens, leaders in general, manipulate words and phrases to turn into the definition they want. They do this to get what they desire, something man kind has adapted to do frequently. Pinker uses history, and the comic media as examples. Using the show Seinfeld, George says after a date with a women, “Coffee’ doesn’t mean coffee! ‘Coffee’ means sex!” Pinker uses this to illustrate how easily words can be changed with out the other party knowing the meaning. Looking into Francis Bacon theory about achieving proper meaning of words and also improper choices made by the human race. Even separated by hundreds of years Bacon’s theory is still valid today and used in other theories as support, like Pinkers paper for example. The

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