Language Matters #1

1.Language matters. It matters because language is the way we pass information to each other, and information is important. Language makes things happen, by causing people to act and react. A commander says fire, or two generals sign a peace accord. A witness gives evidence and a judge gives her verdict. Even in the mundane activities of our lives, how do you get the pizza place to put your preferred topping on instead of just whatever they hell they felt like at the time? And when someone tells you the pizza has arrived, you begin to salivate before the smell has even hit you. Language has physical effects on the neurochemistry of people’s brains.

The people who publicly promote this myth usually have a direct interest in making you confused about language and how it works.