Of dying habits, sour grapes and the hypocrisy born of compromise - 3

Sour grapes?

A display of expertise is a social turn-off. Consider the above statement and throw your mind back to the last time you appreciated, with every fibre of your being, something or someone you admired particularly. Note, your sensation should have been untinged with envy, bitterness, or contempt(for whatever reasons). Can't remember? Typical....

Now it is human nature to carp, to cavil when faced with an instance of greatness, as I remarked earlier. Therefore, a scientific theory is quoted with flaws and inconsistencies, a brilliant work of art is traced to its influences, an opinion is criticised for one-dimensionality and prejudice. Thus too, and increasingly prevalent is the insularity to a foreign language.

English is, admittedly, a foreign tongue, but it is of primary importance in our dealings today, especially in a nation such as ours, in a world such as the one we inhabit. A working knowledge of the language is, in most cases, sufficient to carry one through the day.... But there is more to it...

English is a melting pot of sorts, incorporating elements from languages, cultures, races the world over, down the ages, so that what we have today is a complex and humungous entity that communicates on so many different levels. Words are available for occasions of moment and small, to convey shades in meaning that one may not have been aware one intended. And indeed, the limitation of any language is that we are necessarily constrained to express ourselves as it dictates we should. How do I describe an emotion in a word, when a plethora of thoughts flash upon the mind? Even a choice combination barely suffices. What do I feel, for instance, when people evince an extreme paucity of perceptiveness in preferring the mean to the sublime(see Part 2)? Frustration? Not quite... Dejection? Not really... Despair? Too far gone out! But really a deep sorrow informed by the glory of excellence and the vileness of mediocrity.

So then, are efforts to widen the base of a language futile? Is the quest for clarity, for precise and unambiguous self-expression but a fantasy, a wild-goose chase? I would like to believe not. We are constantly evolving to accomodate our newest experiences, to let them inform us and the world around us. So it is reasonable to expect that we shall become only more adept at organizing and channelising our thoughts to bespeak what, and exactly what, we feel. To this end, language will evolve. There will be glorious, joyous redundancies, but they are a necessary adjunct to the process itself.

Meanwhile, I feast upon words, regarding them with a wide-eyed wonder as they induce a remarkable level of sophistication in modern communication. But.... like I observed, people are resistant. "High-flown", sneers one. "Verbose", snarls another. "Show-off...." What is happening? Why are we so averse to self-improvement? I do not claim to be on a social-emancipation-odyssey, but my intentions are heartfelt. If not a wish that everyone strive towards more complete expression, I shall, at least, practise it, refine it, exalt in it.

Some of my best friends feel brevity is the soul of clarity, simplicity the essence of good expression. Yes, when we have a melange of styles of expression, of mastery over the medium. But when differences cease to exist, when we talk man to man, the need for diversification, for ramifications of nuance, of meaning, become imperative. I merely desire that final, unshakeable purity; of course, attendant personal quirks shall serve to make matters all the more interesting!!

So, what was the last word you learnt??