THE LIMITING POWER OF WORDS
HOWARD GREGORY
Sunday, August 23, 2009
There is a debilitating mental disorder known as schizophrenia which manifests itself in five groups of behavioural health disorders that include a loss of contact with reality.
Among the five is that of verbal behaviour. While attracting very technical diagnostic labels such as symbolism, blocking of affect-laden words, incoherent speech, neologisms, and the repetition of words and phrases, the bottom line is that the afflicted person uses language in loose and idiosyncratic ways which make it difficult for the uninitiated to understand what they are saying. In some instances, it becomes a kind of fascination with one's words, and each word and idea has the potential to set off a new trend of thought. Attempts to engage these persons in conversation in rational ways are efforts in futility.
http://jamaicaobserver.com/columns/h...R_OF_WORDS.asp
HOWARD GREGORY
Sunday, August 23, 2009
There is a debilitating mental disorder known as schizophrenia which manifests itself in five groups of behavioural health disorders that include a loss of contact with reality.
Among the five is that of verbal behaviour. While attracting very technical diagnostic labels such as symbolism, blocking of affect-laden words, incoherent speech, neologisms, and the repetition of words and phrases, the bottom line is that the afflicted person uses language in loose and idiosyncratic ways which make it difficult for the uninitiated to understand what they are saying. In some instances, it becomes a kind of fascination with one's words, and each word and idea has the potential to set off a new trend of thought. Attempts to engage these persons in conversation in rational ways are efforts in futility.
http://jamaicaobserver.com/columns/h...R_OF_WORDS.asp
Comment