I would strongly agree with Stoney Bud except for this:
Without a "common" language, meaning universally understandable by all (please pardon the redundancy) I don't think we have much hope of being able to communicate together effectively, which would necessarily lead to a breakdown in comprehension. And this leads directly, in my opinion, to a lack of understanding of (and acceptance of) the other person's point of view. In other words, this is how wars get started and how they are perpetuated. I have tried to make it my business to inspect as carefully as possible every post I've made, so that my points are as clear as I can make them, in order to prevent any possible misunderstanding.
I have, in the past, been accused many times of sounding like a lawyer. And, although the "accusers" did NOT mean this as a compliment, I have always taken it as such. So I've always smiled and thanked them for it. I strongly believe that without effective communication (especially in the present world) we are doomed to continue repeating the horrible mistakes of the past.
A man much wiser than I once stated, "Be precise in your use of language, and demand the same precision of those around you". G.B. Shaw? I'll have to look it up.
A thorough and complete understanding of language and it's applications is absolutely necessary in this "global village" we find ourselves in, if we are to forge any sort of compromise at all between the myriad points-of-view that currently exist. Thanks for taking the time to read this.
