Do you text on your cell phone or online sites? When you are writing a formal letter, do you have to think hard to actually type out whole words instead of using text shorthand? If so, you may be participating in a great paradigm shift of global scale.
Many professional writers and editors lament that the English language is being obliterated by the casual use of more symbolic language on mobile devices and some social media internet sites. But, instead of witnessing the demise of a modern language, we may be seeing the birth of a new way to communicate that is rooted in ancient traditions.
English is a relatively young language. The well-crafted alphabets of several ancient living languages, such as Hebrew, Greek, Arabic and Syrian, have deeper functions than simply conveying words. They contain the essence of sacred sound, number, as well as the origin of change and motion. Asian languages are based on pictographs. They convey an entire idea in one character.
Here’s something interesting to consider. It’s very difficult for most folks to think without the use of words. Try it. Now, what if you could think in another language, like Chinese? Perhaps instead of words, you might be able to think in whole concepts or in the fluid waves of motion. What if you could think in Greek. Perhaps you could imagine spatial dimensions as well. Learn a new language; learn a new way to perceive.
The lament presented by writers and editors is the grieving of loss and an inquiry about the future. In the West, our casual language has infiltrated formal writing for centuries. But, adding or deleting words to the lexicon is very different from changing the basic rules by which we communicate. By incorporating more symbolic language, are we simply adapting to current technology and the accelerated pace of life or are we changing the way we perceive and communicate at a more basic level?
For the last ten years, several movies and books have appeared concerning the coming of the Indigo children. One of their hallmark characteristics is the ability to communicate with one another telepathically. As a group, they form an interconnected matrix that is constantly in touch with every other point on the web. Current mobile technology emulates this type of interconnectedness. By incorporating a phone, an internet connection, and a camera, hand-held devices give each owner immediate global interaction at an unprecedented level.
There is one fortunate side effect of this trend. When the Indigo children do arrive en masse, being in constant contact with one another will not be seen as odd or strange. More importantly, it will not be viewed as threatening. Perhaps we are merely using today’s technology to usher in a major shift in the way we connect with one another. It is very likely that the evolution of our language will be a blending of science and intuitive wisdom into a new form of interconnectivity.
Do you think in symbols or text shorthand? How has it affected your formal writing?
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