Is it possible these days to speak without editorializing?
The older I get and the more closely I pay attention to my own words and the words of others, the more I've come to believe that editorializing is fast becoming a nearly inescapable fact of human communication. Consider the following:
* The load many everyday words and expressions now carry - e.g., "choice", "identity", etc. - and how frequently more words are added and become similarly loaded.
* The way our increasingly partisan media exacerbates the issue, endlessly repeating sound bites filled with those same loaded words, nuance be damned.
* The ubiquity of 24/7 screens in almost every public and private space, further compounding the issue by isolating us as well as promoting allegiance and respectful interaction to only those with whom we agree.
How will younger people who have been educated in this screen-saturated world learn how to break free and communicate without editorializing? How can the older folks among us make a difference in this arena with the time we have left?
I agree this is an issue, especially #3. I recently listened to a wonderful talk fromRick Steves about Travel as a Political Act with a lot of historical information relevant to the 2024 election:https://www.ricksteves.com/travel-tips/travel-classes/monday-night-travel/travel-political-act. It is so refreshing because he is factual, engaging and compellling! Wish we had more of this....Sigh.
ReplyDeleteInes; Thanks for the comment and link. After checking it out, I'll try to remember to talk with you about my reaction.
DeleteFor the first time, I don't understand your post. I'm not sure what you're getting at. Thanks for elaborating if you have time.
ReplyDeleteAnonymous; Dismayed to hear this post missed the mark that much. If you are who I think you are (Barry somebody vs. Brendan Gleeson), I'm happy to try to clear up the murk when next I see you.
DeleteHey Pat ... Been a while so I thought it was time to catch up ... on some your posts, anyway. This was an interesting post to read. While I share your thoughts on editorializing it made me think that it may be that people are more aware of wanting to be Politically Correct. And in most cases I am in full agreement with those sentiments. But sometimes, and sometimes more than just sometimes, whether its editorializing or being PC, either, or both, can be a bit overwhelming;ming and over used. It seems to be getting more and more difficult and challenging to not only want to do the right thing but being able to actually do it. Not sure if I made the point I was trying to make or if this is what you were even referring to, but ...
ReplyDeleteBe well,
Bob
Bob; Thanks again for being so prolific today. The whole political correctness back-and-forth is a subject for another post.
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