The evolution of language is a fascinating study. The way we communicate with words changes continually.
One of the more interesting changes occurring now is the proliferation of “sloganeering”, reducing an entire argument to a few words that hopefully can convey the full meaning. “Politics of change,” “Diamonds are forever,” and “Work smarter, not harder”are all examples of the abbreviated way in which we communicate.
The Boston Celtics, known for their dominant days of basketball perfection in the late 70’s, are sad reflections of those glory days. Every year, they launch each new season with a snappy slogan. First, there was “No More Games,” then there was “Honor the Tradition” and recently, “Building the Tradition.”
However, several year of lackluster performance have left Celtic fans grumbling and a whole genre of fan inspired slogans have cropped up. “Excitement is Bad For the Heart,” “Bring Back The Obstructed View Seats,” “Pain is Temporary, Pride is Forever,” “At least We Have the Past” and “It’s Not Easy Being Green.” The Boston fans simply will not mouth the team slogan without a competitive team to back it up.
We can all be accused of the glibness and meaninglessness in our language. Words are mouthed without much feeling or conviction or passion. They are simple syllables passing lips, reduced to mere sounds that are made in conjunction with other sounds to form words. At home we might say words like “This hurts me as bad as it hurts you” or even “I love you.”
How about you? Is what you say what you mean?
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