Wordsmith.org: the magic of words

Wordsmith Talk

About Us | What's New | Search | Site Map | Contact Us  

Previous Thread
Next Thread
Print Thread
#113020 10/02/03 01:36 PM
Joined: Mar 2001
Posts: 4,189
Carpal Tunnel
OP Offline
Carpal Tunnel
Joined: Mar 2001
Posts: 4,189
>Eloquence is sometimes lyrical, sometimes
powerful, but always an overstatement
and always a projection.

Dishonest people believe in words
rather than reality.<

>The way to be most helpful to others is
for me to do the thing that right now
would be most helpful to me.

I am not interested so much in what I
do with my hands or words as what I do
with my feelings. I want to live from the
inside out, not from the outside in.

Most words evolved as a description of
the outside world, hence their inadequacy
to describe what is going on inside of me.

Wanting to do something is a desire, not
a sentence. When I "decide" what I want
to do I translate my desire into a sentence
and then follow the sentence; I take
the desire out of my body and put it in
my mind. Asking myself, "What do I
want to do?" brings to mind my habitual
answers to that question, it brings in
irrelevant things I "should" be wanting to
do, and it ignores the fact that there may
be no adequate words to decribe what I
am feeling this moment.<

>If the desire to write is not accompanied
by actual writing then the desire is not
to write.<

>It is not necessary to always think words.
Words often keep me from acting in a
fully intuitive way. Fears, indecision and
frustration feed on words. Without words
they usually stop. When I am trying to
figure out how I should relate to some-
one, especially a stranger, if I will stop
thinking words, and listen to the situation,
and just be open, I find I act in a more
appropriate, more spontaneous, often
original, sometimes even courageous way.
Words are at times good for looking back,
but they are confining when I need to
act in the present.<

--Hugh Prather, Notes to Myself (My struggle to become a person). © 1970 by Hugh Prather


Thoughts? Reactions?



#113021 10/02/03 07:51 PM
Joined: Jul 2003
Posts: 3,230
Carpal Tunnel
Offline
Carpal Tunnel
Joined: Jul 2003
Posts: 3,230
My reaction? If he distrusts and dislikes words so much, why does he choose to use them to communicate his ideas to others?


#113022 10/02/03 10:42 PM
Joined: Mar 2001
Posts: 4,189
Carpal Tunnel
OP Offline
Carpal Tunnel
Joined: Mar 2001
Posts: 4,189
How else then, if not through language? (sans vusual art and music?).

And, akshually®, this was originally written as a diary to himself, never intended for other eyes.


#113023 10/02/03 10:57 PM
Joined: Jul 2003
Posts: 3,230
Carpal Tunnel
Offline
Carpal Tunnel
Joined: Jul 2003
Posts: 3,230
>How else then

Which was kinda my point. Even if written only for hisownself, it seems kinda ironic that he is compelled to use words to tell how much he dislikes words.


#113024 10/03/03 01:32 AM
Joined: Mar 2000
Posts: 11,613
Carpal Tunnel
Offline
Carpal Tunnel
Joined: Mar 2000
Posts: 11,613
Makes me VERY glad I am not the age I was in 1970. My God, the self-absorption. My honest reaction? I'm sorry, but it's, "Who the hell cares?".


#113025 10/05/03 10:23 PM
Joined: Oct 2001
Posts: 104
M
member
Offline
member
M
Joined: Oct 2001
Posts: 104
it seems kinda ironic that he is compelled to use words to tell how much he dislikes words

He doesn't "dislike" words. He is saying words can be inadequate and even confining.

Shakespeare's Macbeth says something similar:
"Words to the heat of deeds too cold breath gives."

Prather says:
"Words often keep me from acting in a
fully intuitive way. Fears, indecision and
frustration feed on words. Without words
they usually stop."

Words are tools to get at meaning and feelings, they can never become "meaning" or "feelings" themselves. Prather respects his tools but he is mindful of their limitations.

It has been said that of the 3 arts, music, painting and poetry, poetry ranks lowest because words can never be anything more than an approximation of feelings.


#113026 10/06/03 10:59 PM
Joined: Sep 2000
Posts: 4,757
M
Carpal Tunnel
Offline
Carpal Tunnel
M
Joined: Sep 2000
Posts: 4,757
It has been said that of the 3 arts, music, painting and poetry, poetry ranks lowest...

tho' never said in paint.


#113027 10/06/03 11:18 PM
Joined: Jul 2003
Posts: 3,230
Carpal Tunnel
Offline
Carpal Tunnel
Joined: Jul 2003
Posts: 3,230
>It has been said that of the 3 arts, music, painting and poetry, poetry ranks lowest...

tho' never said in paint.



LOL! A very palatable hit.


#113028 10/06/03 11:54 PM
Joined: Jun 2002
Posts: 7,210
Carpal Tunnel
Offline
Carpal Tunnel
Joined: Jun 2002
Posts: 7,210
palatable hit

and malodious...



formerly known as etaoin...

Moderated by  Jackie 

Link Copied to Clipboard
Forum Statistics
Forums16
Topics13,913
Posts229,580
Members9,187
Most Online3,341
Dec 9th, 2011
Newest Members
Karin, JeffMackwood, artguitar, Jim_W, Rdbuffalo
9,187 Registered Users
Who's Online Now
0 members (), 332 guests, and 0 robots.
Key: Admin, Global Mod, Mod
Top Posters(30 Days)
Top Posters
wwh 13,858
Faldage 13,803
Jackie 11,613
wofahulicodoc 10,713
tsuwm 10,542
LukeJavan8 9,931
AnnaStrophic 6,511
Wordwind 6,296
of troy 5,400
Disclaimer: Wordsmith.org is not responsible for views expressed on this site. Use of this forum is at your own risk and liability - you agree to hold Wordsmith.org and its associates harmless as a condition of using it.

Home | Today's Word | Yesterday's Word | Subscribe | FAQ | Archives | Search | Feedback
Wordsmith Talk | Wordsmith Chat

© 1994-2024 Wordsmith

Powered by UBB.threads™ PHP Forum Software 7.7.5