At the root of most ideas is language. We find ourselves entrenched in ways of doing because of our ways of speaking. This is largely because of the obvious: we can’t have discourse without language. So many parts of culture are shaped by definitions that have settled into the sub-strata of societal norms. “Time is money”, “money is power,” “seeing is believing.” These are accepted not because of their veracity, but because of repetition.
When we reach for answers, we look to the practical, present, and pervasive. Meanwhile, the thoughtful, true, and time-tested lay unused in a history book or philosophical treatise. In the midst of uncertainty or crisis, to which do we turn?
The dangerous race of technology is worsened by language that is itself part of the problem. This cycle persists because of the nature of technology. Postman argues that, “because of its lengthy, intimate, and inevitable relationship with culture, technology does not invite a close examination of its own consequences.” An innocuous malady entrenches language that perpetuates a willful ignorance.
Death begets death begets death…
Vicious cycles are defined by their titular adjective. There is a cruelty to falling into a pit with slippery edges of our own making. By its nature, information glut increases everyday. Without barriers, language models “improve” to sow more misinformed or shallow data throughout the internet. Exponentials we see daily extend our struggle through the chasm of understanding.
The betrayal of provenance we embrace should be a reminder of what is essential. Language is essential. It’s also what we make of it, so we must remake those parts warped by our folly into something better.
Forgetting is essential to learning, just as exhaling is essential to breathing. Breathe out, then in. Find the self, then lose it once again.
