Waking Life - Our Language as a Signs System

Waking Life makes some interesting points regarding semiotics and the way our language works. Our language, and all languages, for that matter is a sign system. We put together different symbols, or letters, to make up larger pieces that stand for different things. Visually speaking, our language is really a jigsaw puzzle with infinite possibilities. We created a list of specific symbols, letters, and continuously scramble them up to create new meanings. One thing that is very interesting about what Waking Life says is the issue of truly understanding the words we say. They do make a good point that when a person says a word like love, the other person may not be thinking of exactly the same kind of love the person who said the word was thinking of. At the same time, I think we have the ability to come to a general agreement on what is being discussed. For example, when someone was asked to draw a paint palette, many of us may think or all sorts of palettes. In our minds they may be different shapes, colors etc. However, if someone was using the word in a sentence or description, most people would understand what they were saying so that the conversation could move forward, even if we don’t have the same image in our heads. Basically, our understanding of words has everything to do with experience. My idea of love may be different than yours, but most likely we can come to and understanding so as to keep the conversation moving. There are so many different representations of words in our language today that it is almost impossible to fully understand what the other person is describing.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nKFW5OkJb4U