Thread: Written words

Very good point. Words should take us to the essence, force us to think it through to be able to convey our meaning. The 'experts' say that in personal communicaton the words make up about 7% of what we 'say'. The big stuff is non verbal; body language, tonality, speed, volume...
When we write all that is lost. A serious string of words made with a wry expression or a humorous twinkle in the eye carry a different sense than on paper, where they are just a serious string of words. In writing vocabulary and word choice become more important. Dictionary definitions of words don't always note their emotional or psychological factors. There is an entire branch of psychology dealing with this, advertisers and sales people use it extensively. Word connotation can essentially determine or change the meaning of a statement. Thoughtful writing should help us distill our thinking and clarify our meaning but as with the spoken word the hearer or reader's mindset will ultimately determine what they take from it.