Words

Words Must Mean Something. -Mr Obama

Here is something we don’t often reflect on in our sound-bite world: there are, in fact, two different theories on what words mean. There is the literal authorial intent theory, which says that words mean what the author intended. That as a listener, or reader, it is our job to find out what the author meant. This takes work, of course, because you must account for culture, context, and language variations. Then there is the deconstructionist theory, which says that meaning is only imbued by the reader. That no matter what the author intended to say, we can figure out what he meant by getting behind the author, and seeing his biases and problems through his writing.

These aren’t just two different ways of interpreting words, though. They are two different ways of looking at the world. In one worldview, there is reality, and we are tasked with determining the nature of reality, it’s source, and how to live within it. In the second worldview, there is no reality. There is only what we perceive.

Given all of this, we must ask: When a politician says words must mean something, which view of the meaning is he taking? What “something” should we take his words as meaning? The something he intended? Or the something we think he said?

The answer lies in the statement itself. Why does Mr. Obama use the word “something,” in the sentence itself? Because he wants to say different things to different people. If you’re a conservative, he wants you to interpret those words in a conservative way, to mean that when he says something, he means it (unless he retracts it later, or forgets he said it, or changes his mind, of course). If you’re a liberal, he wants you to hear this, and say: “Yes, but what they mean depends on what I hear, not on what you say.”

In other words, Mr. Obama really believes in a little of both. He believes that what he says has meaning, and that those who agree with him should accept the meaning he assigns to the words. On the other hand, he hopes those who don’t agree with him will assign an alternate meaning to his words, one that fits their worldview. He expects those who agree with him to nod their heads and say, “yes, words mean what I think they mean when I read them.” He expects those who don’t agree with him to nod their heads and say, “yes, words have meaning, and it’s an important point that people don’t often say. Now, I wish all politicians thought words mean something!”

The problem is, he’s right. Your reaction to these words will depend on your worldview. Those who believe in authorial intent will assign “good intentions” to the author, and think the best of him, while those who believe in deconsturctionism will assign “high marks” for “creative use of language.” This playing with words is a win-win situation for Mr. Obama.

“When I use a word,” Humpty Dumpty said, in a rather scornful tone, “it means just what I choose it to mean – neither more nor less.”
“The question is,” said Alice, “whether you can make words mean so many different things.”
“The question is,” said Humpty Dumpty, “which is to be master – that’s all.”