Very Old Writings of Mine

In my decluttering efforts, I recently ran across a stash of my writings dating back more than 40 years, back to when I was in the 9th grade. I'll publish the least embarrassing of these writings in my next several posts.

The oldest piece was published by the Berkeley Unified School District in September, 1967, in a pamphlet entitled "Berkeley's Creative Children."

I Don't Understand You

Can a person understand another?

It seems impossible.

Look at the barriers.

Every single word

has a different connotation

to people.

Some words have more than

one connotation to

a person.

And then,

there are things there

aren't words for.

There must be more than

two degrees of

friendly emotions.

What is between

liking

and

loving?

Understanding.

Then I took up the same topic in my high school valedictory address, which I delivered at Santa Monica High School in 1970:

THE POSSIBILITY OF COMMUNICATION

Is communication possible? As a representative of the class of 1970, I can tell you that at times I've had my doubts. Nevertheless, the problem of communication is more acute than it seems. Webster defines communication as "giving and receiving information by talk, gestures, writing, etc." This information may be split into two groups, of which the first is language. The second group is sense impressions, that is, sights and sounds that are not language - tastes, touches, and smells.

The giving and receiving of sense impressions is accomplished through three avenues - sense organs, nerves, and the brain, which together could be called the sensory apparatus. Many barriers exist which can alter or halt the flow of information. Chief among these obstacles are the sense organs themselves. They vary among people in sensitivity and accuracy. Were there a faint smell in the air, Dr. Drake might smell apple, Mr. Leach, grape, and Mr. Richards, nothing but smog.

That same situation might also have been brought about by differences in nerves, for from the various sense organs nerves extend to transmit the messages to the brain. Once an impression has reached the brain, it may be interpreted differently, both by different people and by the same person at different times.

The snowballing effect is staggering. Imagine the accumulated errors of a lifetime. Each impression, with its own inaccuracy, is filed in the brain to use in interpreting other sensations. An appalling thought is how incorrect second-, third-, or fourth-hand information is, let alone history, which has traveled the centuries.

Let us consider language. The flaws in human sensory apparatus are many, but its inaccuracy is nothing to the mess that languages are. In the field of science, German is more exact than English. For the best available accuracy, however, an artificial language must be used. Symbolic logic was formulated to help minimize the illogic of natural languages, but people are not about to speak to each other in a language whose only verb is "to imply.

The main problem with natural languages is that few people can understand precisely what other people are saying. Dictionary definitions, which would really help communication if everyone used them, are only listings of the most popular of the meanings which are currently in use. Even if the people who spoke a certain language were to agree on meanings, the connotations of the words would still be in doubt . A given word will frequently have varying associations to different people, or to the same person with a change in time. Remember when 'pot' meant 'cooking utensil' and 'grass' was something one mowed?

Is communication possible? I believe it is. Improved sensory apparatus will help. Modern medicine has discovered a full catalogue of remedies designed to combat disorders of the sense organs, nerves, and brain. In the field of language, dictionary writers are ever working to tell people what they really mean when they speak or write. Widespread education is giving the populace more information about its languages. Scientists are even tuning in their mechanical ears to listen to sounds made by the stars.

As long as people inhabit this earth, we must try to improve our means of communication. My classmates will no doubt recall that the bloodiest encounter of the War of 1812, the Battle of New Orleans, was fought after the treaty had been signed. The news of peace simply couldn't travel fast enough to prevent that tragedy. The technical side of communication has advanced immeasurably since then; but please think for a moment of what would happen if, in the midst of an international crisis, the hot line were to break down.

Technical means of communication are not good enough. Someday, perhaps with the advent of telepathy, true communication will at last take place.