Feb 27 • 11:30 UTC 🇪🇨 Ecuador El Universo (ES)

Words to Survive

The article explores the profound impact of language on personal perception and reality as articulated by Chilean poet Gonzalo Rojas and philosopher Rafael Echeverría.

The article delves into the transformative power of language, emphasizing the thoughts of Chilean poet Gonzalo Rojas regarding the word 'pleasure'. Rojas illustrates how this word, when experienced by the reader, transcends its simple definition and becomes a vibrant force. This phenomenon represents a semantic kidnapping, where the meanings of words evolve from their objective definitions into reflections shaped by individual experiences and prior knowledge. The exploration of how personal interpretation alters the essence of language is a critical theme in the article.

Additionally, the article highlights philosopher Rafael Echeverría's viewpoint that language does not merely describe reality but actively creates it. Echeverría argues against the notion of language being a neutral medium; instead, he asserts that our speech constructs the world we inhabit. This concept implies that the act of communication is inherently tied to the shaping of our actions and perceptions, indicating that our interactions with language can define our realities.

Echeverría’s assertion that we live in language as we live in a house suggests that a well-structured linguistic environment is essential for meaningful communication. If this linguistic environment is flawed or poorly constructed, the implications for understanding and coexistence can be significant. Thus, the article serves as a reminder of the power of words not only in expressing but also in shaping human experience and reality, leading readers to consider their own relationship with language.

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