Read These Words

Harry Scherer
Class of 2022

(5/2019) Prove it. Show me! Do you have any pictures?

These commands, exhortations and inquiries are repeated many times a day by skeptical, pushy or inquisitive persons. We live in a world in which the written word, or words of any kind, are given little credence. The claim that a picture is worth a thousand words is peddled by tabloid editors and social media gurus. Do we have to surrender to this mantra and relinquish our powers as functioning, rational human persons that are able to competently convey meaning through words? Absolutely not.

The root of the problem of accepting images as superior to an eloquent and meaningful combination of words seems to lie in the shift in emphasis in secondary and higher education. The building blocks of impactful speech, logic and rhetoric are not intentionally taught to high schoolers and college students, leaving the future generation defenseless against the influences of illogical reasoning and dissonant speech. Unless one is taught at an institution which attempts to mimic the merits of a classical education, students must fend for themselves in the world of flashy pictures and seven-word headlines.

With this incompetent formation, one without even rudimentary foundations of philosophy, our generation fails to recognize the existence and influence of absolute truth, one that is the case in every time and place and in every circumstance. Instead, words are used to craft "interpretations," which cloud the understanding of the reader, rather than clarify.

Another factor which has led to the degradation of the written word is the frequent use of social media. By the very use of the instrument, persons necessarily limit their actions and personal development into a series of recent pictures or a 280-character stream of thoughts. There is no room for explanation or analysis in these media. Instead of actually seeing the changes that persons make in their actions or the eccentricities of their thoughts, a recognition requiring personal contact, we are confined to pictures and tweets that submit to the "wow" factor.

Nowhere is this more evident than on "Catholic Twitter," an informal group of Catholic laymen, priests and religious who share their thoughts on Catholic life, culture and recent events. Because users are limited to 280 characters in describing the beauty of life in a Church which claims to house the limitless, the problem of incomplete and confusing narratives arises. Well-meaning tweeters succumb to shining the spotlight on fellow members of the Church with whom they disagree, furthering confusion with regard to love and respect for the Papacy, and even minimizing the breadth and influence of the faith. With all of these unfortunate effects of the medium, there is little emphasis on being cogent, lucid or respectful in the way ideas are presented.

In the same way, reading and writing have become less impactful today because of the instant gratification surrounding these media. Instead of sitting and analyzing a text or laboriously meditating on the most impactful manner in which to use words, persons prefer to digitally blurt out whatever comes to their minds, without consideration to diplomacy, or read a misleading headline from the source which most aligns with their political ideology.

The degradation of political dialogue is another symptom from an apathetic view of the written word. Instead of genuinely considering political philosophy and thoughtful political analysis, citizens are left to fight for who can embarrass persons on the other side of the political spectrum. We have no weapons with which to fight those with whom we disagree other than personal insults and purely pathetic arguments.

With all these complaints, it lies in our hands to change the course of linguistic appreciation. Because the future of our political, religious and cultural discourse revolves around an intentional use of the written word, we have the obligation to recognize and act upon the benefits of a proper use of the language upon which we have been bestowed.

It would benefit us to read works which stretch our literary comfort. Instead of only reading entertaining science fiction novels, it would be beneficial to read a historical account of a time period for which we have previously given little thought. An ability to competently read across genres is a specialized skill which few people have and benefits us to see the different perspectives from which many different persons come.

In addition, it would be beneficial to explore the details of news stories beyond the cover picture and catchy headline. The purpose of these two marketing necessities is to draw in the reader to the content by whatever means necessary. For example, headlines can be unintentionally misleading by forgoing context and other essential information which is analyzed in the text. Also, pictures capture that onto which the eyes latch. Instead of informing, the cover photo attracts.

Satisfaction with simply absorbing incomplete information from a headline and photo can immediately lead to misunderstanding and ignorance. Because much of the thoughts and opinions which we all have are informed by nuanced understandings of information, it is essential to recognize the perspective from which another person is coming so that we recognize the flaws of our own thoughts or the way in which we are portraying them.

Finally, for the young who feel that they have received an incomplete education and fear that the future leaders of our generation think illogically and speak unclearly, it would greatly serve us to invest in a short guide to logical thinking and grammar book. An ability to think in a lucid manner and speak eloquently is a lost art for our generation and will predict who will lead our culture into the next decades. We should be armed with the defenses of clear thought and coherent words so that we may rightly inform the uninformed about the truths of our world and effects of our actions.

Read it. Say it! Do you have any thoughts?

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