Do you speak the language?

Communication

“Words can be said in bitterness and anger, and often there seems to be an element of truth in the nastiness. And words don't go away, they just echo around.” Jane Goodall

Goodall has spent a lifetime studying chimpanzees, observing their behavior and the way they organize their communities. She makes some interesting observations about that uniquely human capacity—language. She sees it as both an important milestone in our evolution, and possibly our undoing. The fact that we have the ability to speak words does not necessarily mean that we are better communicators. She writes: “I think we are still in a muddle with our language, because once you get words and spoken language it gets harder to communicate.” Perhaps it's is not lack of clarity that is the problem, but our capacity for duplicity in what we say.

Words are powerful. They can wound or heal us. Angry words said in haste with the intention of wounding cannot be taken back. They amount to what Carl Jung called “a fisher king wound,” one that will not heal. We can apologize until the cows come home, and we will never erase the memory of that injury. Those hateful words will forever echo around anything else we say.

Words reflect thousands of years of cultural experience. When we are ignorant of that history, we cannot fully understand the meaning of the words even if we know the language. It's so clear that we can make pacts and agreements, sign contracts and treaties and no one at the table is truly communicating.

Today, be aware of the words you speak and the words you hear. Don't be afraid to ask for clarity when you are not sure you understand the meaning of what is said. Communication involves understanding the depth as well as the breadth of language.

                                          In the Spirit,

                                                Jane