Stepping Out to Look In - The Power I Give to Words

My favorite word is "why"!

It has been my favorite word since I was a child.

I wanted to know why I couldn't have that thing I wanted, and why my friend couldn't come over and play, why the boy down the street can't stand on his broken leg, and why can't men have babies???????????????????????????????

• Why helped me figure out how I learn and how it is different from the majority of the population.
• Why helped me understand my injuries and how to overcome them.
• Why has helped me stay mobile and "well-preserved" (thanks Joe!).
• Why has helped me (to some degree) understand my parents and the choices they made in parenting.

I am going to give 'why' a rest for this.

On Saturday my post was on the power of words. This is a familiar subject for me. While I have come a long way in terms of not taking much personally, I still give word choice power (thanks, Jason).

My instinct: Why?

My choice: to become aware of which words I empower and neutralize them.

I may look at 'why' later.

Words are sounds that are combined to communicate ideas between beings. When I attach meaning, ideas are communicated efficiently. When I attach emotion or judgment, the ideas become secondary. I become unable to receive the idea with purity.

I also become unable to transmit with purity.

Now I am communicating through a veil of emotion and judgment. This is a struggle that requires energy. 

Two words that are or have been emotionally/mentally loaded for me:

Sacred

Slut

'Sacred' is still meaningful to me, but I no longer recoil when I hear it used or use it. I have a sense of energy balance when I use 'sacred' now.

'Slut', however, is fully loaded. I always give my attention to the user/speaker. It speaks less to me about the intended receiver and more about the transmitter.

If I diffuse the word, the transmitter loses power. The issue becomes a non-issue.

Next, I want to think about context. So I don't give the word power. Does this mean that anyone can say absolutely anything? Am I empowering others to be careless or cruel as long as the word expresses the meaning accurately?

What is the overall feel of the communication?

What is my relationship with the speaker? Does level of vulnerability apply? If I give little power to words, then is it conceiveable that my very closest friend could be ruthlessly critical without fear of consequences? Next, is the "ruthless criticism" helpful?

How far can I take this?

What's the difference between a physical slap in the face and a verbal slap in the face? I can have you arrested for assault for the physical and I can take you to court and sue you for libel (if that is the nature of the v-s-i-t-f).

I haven't actually used the "W" word, but I think I'm stepping in about here!

Before I get too involved in the case for civilization, let's back up again.

I give very little meaning to the word 'sin'. For me, all the definitions are too convoluted and mired in unhealthy religious dogma. When the word is used, I feel a bit sad but that's all. Am I a psychopath? I don't think so (would I know?!). No.

'Slut' - a long time ago a dirty, slovenly woman was called a slut. Somewhere along the way (I haven't researched this part of the history), we began to use it to label a woman whom we believed to be having unmarried sex. Then we tightened the meaning up a bit to point the finger at a woman having lots of unmarried sex. This is not a huge issue for me - the sticks and stones thing.

Here it is:

Blah, blah, blah, say whatever, but when it is acceptable to harm a woman-labeled-slut - what now?

We assigned a label. Free speech. 'Slut' - how about 'chef'? A slut deserves to be raped. Why not a chef? What if the chef makes terrible food? What if there are cases of botulism?

Going a little overboard? Isn't raping a woman going a little overboard?

Is the energy given the word in the first place the energy that feeds the behavior?

I've got work to do...