STORYTELLING AND PERCEIVING TRUTH

How the choice for words matters

I find this film a great example of how the choice for language defines what we believe and become our truth. It does remind me of my studies in theatre analysis at Utrecht University, where we discussed meaning by relational signs. These could be words, gestures, props, light cues, costumes and more. But in the film they bring it back to the choice of your words only. Check it before reading further:

 

In the analytical theory of semiotics is seen as schemes of signs, singular parts of objective information that get meaning by its relation to time and space. And the moment it becomes meaningful for someone was the tricky part. There, always a subjective component played a role in understanding what someone had seen or becoming attached or offended by words, gestures and scenes. And this theorietic concept that was used to understand art is also important when you communicate your own expressions. 

This film fragment emphasizes the meaning of language and how this makes you understand the world around you. How do you interpret your surrounding, different contexts and why are some acts more meaningful then others? This awareness of how you perceive is as important as how to verbalize your truth, because they are interrelated by the words you specifically use. How you listen and select will reflect on how you emphasize on your own experiences. 

By creating your story your personal language will always play a big part in the process. What I can appreciate here is that you can apply this on the narrative of the story, but also match it with an visual approach or medium of choice. Your process of making will become a reflection of this existing context, where you can build further. The tricky part is that gained knowledge collected in a specific vocabulary in your brain will not determine limitations for empathizing with other languages and approaches. This can limit the expansion of knowledge and your capability to step into opportunities to experience something new. So what I take from this realization is the comforting note that our brain is capable to incorporate many truths as long as I be aware of the subjectivity of my own perception. 

It's weird to be brought back by this innocent film to an old statement keep on challenging yourself by widening your view. This was one of the main reasons I chose to study art in the first place years ago. As a child I was already inspired by the unknown languages, triggering environments I could learn from and working with different senses to create things in the moment. And talking about it was always part of those experiences. It made me connect to others by sharing experiences, the common language we built to understand each other and differences in opinions that touched my emotions. By re-constructing my language to be able to join or fit in, to be acknowledged for your presence and to be able to make people listen to what I had to say my skills in writing, communicating and listening increased. Because it's challenging to talk about something you don't know, that confuses you or that mirrors sensitive information.