Quote:
Originally Posted by chelseabean
I think you secretly love me.
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I love witty repartee
Quote:
Originally Posted by chelseabean
Knowing words other don't is NOT a recipe for success.
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If the age of instant (and mostly unfiltered) information access has taught us anything, it's that mere memorization is not a skillset valued by any modern economy (the GRE notwithstanding). That said, I do think the Sapir–Whorf hypothesis is on to something in that the way we talk influences our patterns of cognition in a complex of feedback loops which we will probably not really understand for a long time.
Although familiarity with the nuances of language is one of the many tools that can be leveraged in learning economically valuable skills, it is neither the only nor an indispensable one. In short, many a smart person has a comparatively average or limited vocabulary. And many person with a wide vocabulary declines, for whatever reason, to make use of it. A wide vocabulary doesn't confer intelligence, but failing to understand that is a sign of stupidity (or at the very least naïveté), which is one reason I go out of my way to clarify that I do understand the limits of vocabulary.
I am, however, someone who enjoys the sensory qualities of words to paint a picture, assemble an idea or lend emotional tone to meaning. My inner critic is mostly concerned with balancing truth, beauty and flow. If he were more concerned with parsimony, I'd spend a lot less time editing my prose. Like a musician who loves all the sounds, I can at times let my enthusiasm get the better of me. I am only human.
