Of Words and Humanity

Words are confusing. They fall short when we need them and are too vast and complicated in their multitudes when we don't. Still, they are what I work best with, my best friends. Of English, or any other language, words have been a source of fascination for me since I was a child. Or so I'm told, at least. They're beautiful, and so rarely do they lie. Their definitions are clear, and they do not often change. Humans taint words. Taint their own creations. Twist them, make them ugly and distorted with deceit and hatred.

Humans are wont to do this though. They build things so they can destroy them. Whether it's a power complex or if it is a genuine accident, I do not know. But the fact remains clear; humans break what they create.

Humans break everything, actually. Sometimes it's simple things, like glasses or vases, annoying in the moment, but easily fixed or replaced. On a larger scale, it's the very world they live in, with pollution and deforestation. Less tangibly, and most often, it is other people, however. We push and pull and crush one another, simply because we're all different. For the briefest moments, some of us understand that every human being is unique, and that is a glorious thing. But then the moment is over. Realistically, the only way to actually have this stable, open mindset at all times is through recreational drug use. Possibly Buddhism, but really, I'm betting nobody's ever actually broken free of Samsara, except for Siddhartha Guatama himself. Considering the era in which he lived, he was probably high all the time, too, though.

Strange creatures are we. We hate having our faults being pointed out (as deep down we're all vain), but, due to societal norms, we put ourselves down in order to seem modest. One can observe this behaviour even the smallest of schoolchildren, when they discuss what they think of one another's drawings. Society teaches us that in having self-confidence, we are, more often than not, arrogant, and this is a trait we must avoid as though our lives depend on it. We are then told that we should believe in ourselves- this is the only way to achieve our goals and become the best we possibly can. For this reason, everyone is secretly insecure. We dislike ourselves because we are taught to, but we try and see what we're good at because we are told that this is the only way to become great.

See what I mean about the words, now? All it takes is a few sentences to a three year old, and they're stuck in a mindset for the rest of their life. Mere sentences. Filled with verbs, nouns and adjectives that slot together so complexly that they contradict one another. Words are confusing, but they are also the most powerful thing in the world, and that is a very scary concept.