Comments on: (A Third) Pithy Saying of the Day http://micahtillman.com/2007/12/20/a-third-pithy-saying-of-the-day/ Philosophy, Politics, Religion, Etc. Fri, 21 Nov 2008 21:55:43 +0000 http://wordpress.org/?v=2.6.3 By: Micah Tillman http://micahtillman.com/2007/12/20/a-third-pithy-saying-of-the-day/#comment-1046 Micah Tillman Sun, 23 Dec 2007 03:27:51 +0000 http://micahtillman.com/2007/12/20/a-third-pithy-saying-of-the-day/#comment-1046 <strong>Mr. Salk--</strong> *laugh* I have no idea what that means, but it sounds very cool. <strong>Amanda--</strong> And ditto to you and Tim for my getting through senior year! If you're looking for fans of senior year, seems you're not going to find them here *grin* <strong>Jeff--</strong> Interesting. Very. I hear people talk about doing violence to language. I always thought they meant by that that someone was trying to do something with language that it wasn't meant to do, or that other people wouldn't realize was different than what they (the other people) thought they (the people doing the violence) were doing. I, for instance, think someone would be doing violence to language if they presented "What's the difference between a duck?" as a legitimate question. And I think people who say things like "We invaded Iraq" or "We saved the French in WWII" are doing violence to language (because they're usually trying to mix different senses of the word "we" together so as to make us responsible for what other people did, simply because both we and the people who did whatever it is happen to belong in some way to the same "group"/"nation"). But I love the idea of opening up new windows or lifting shades. In fact, I think a truly great work of literature/oratory/philosophy is one that does just that -- that gives you a new window through which to look, and through which you can see the world more clearly. Mr. Salk–

*laugh* I have no idea what that means, but it sounds very cool.

Amanda–

And ditto to you and Tim for my getting through senior year! If you’re looking for fans of senior year, seems you’re not going to find them here *grin*

Jeff–

Interesting. Very.

I hear people talk about doing violence to language. I always thought they meant by that that someone was trying to do something with language that it wasn’t meant to do, or that other people wouldn’t realize was different than what they (the other people) thought they (the people doing the violence) were doing.

I, for instance, think someone would be doing violence to language if they presented “What’s the difference between a duck?” as a legitimate question.

And I think people who say things like “We invaded Iraq” or “We saved the French in WWII” are doing violence to language (because they’re usually trying to mix different senses of the word “we” together so as to make us responsible for what other people did, simply because both we and the people who did whatever it is happen to belong in some way to the same “group”/”nation”).

But I love the idea of opening up new windows or lifting shades. In fact, I think a truly great work of literature/oratory/philosophy is one that does just that — that gives you a new window through which to look, and through which you can see the world more clearly.

]]> By: jeffsdeepthoughts http://micahtillman.com/2007/12/20/a-third-pithy-saying-of-the-day/#comment-1041 jeffsdeepthoughts Fri, 21 Dec 2007 11:04:28 +0000 http://micahtillman.com/2007/12/20/a-third-pithy-saying-of-the-day/#comment-1041 Madeline L'Engle wrote about a relative (a son in law, maybe) coming back from seminary and talking about "doing violence to language" She was initially taken aback, but begin to consider the idea that this was merely a provocative way of expressing the idea that we have to challenge our ordinary ways of expressing and viewing thins. I wonder if doing violence to language is akin to building a window where there was none before-- or atleast opening up a shade that's always been closed. Madeline L’Engle wrote about a relative (a son in law, maybe) coming back from seminary and talking about “doing violence to language”
She was initially taken aback, but begin to consider the idea that this was merely a provocative way of expressing the idea that we have to challenge our ordinary ways of expressing and viewing thins.
I wonder if doing violence to language is akin to building a window where there was none before– or atleast opening up a shade that’s always been closed.

]]> By: Amanda http://micahtillman.com/2007/12/20/a-third-pithy-saying-of-the-day/#comment-1039 Amanda Fri, 21 Dec 2007 02:31:06 +0000 http://micahtillman.com/2007/12/20/a-third-pithy-saying-of-the-day/#comment-1039 Great album. That, you, and Tim are the reasons I got through senior year without imploding. Thanks! :) Great album. That, you, and Tim are the reasons I got through senior year without imploding.

Thanks!

:)

]]> By: Mr. Salk http://micahtillman.com/2007/12/20/a-third-pithy-saying-of-the-day/#comment-1036 Mr. Salk Thu, 20 Dec 2007 22:09:02 +0000 http://micahtillman.com/2007/12/20/a-third-pithy-saying-of-the-day/#comment-1036 Words are birds, flying through the net of truth. Words are birds, flying through the net of truth.

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