Language - why it is a problem

Language has proliferated in our modern world. No, I don't mean we have more dialects, which, if anything, have probably gone down. I mean the language that we are exposed to on an every-day basis. Allow me to explain.

Think of an average human being a thousand years ago. Peasant, king, courtier, or court jester, the number of human interactions would be low. Most lived in small gatherings.

No one was exposed to the radio, television, social media, or even the news. In world wars in the last century, we were dropping phamphlets from the air, something we now do on Twitter. The exposure to language or communication was very limited.

Why does this matter?

Remember, language is the key that the brain uses to understand reality. Once it has understood reality, you do not keep repeating it every day.

For example, did you wake up this morning and tell yourself, "I am so glad I woke up in my room?"

Chances are, you did not. There was no need for your brain to process this information using language.

However, when you read my article, you are processing every word and every sentence, making sense of what I am saying. It is novel and needs processing.

Not all language is constructive.

For example, if there is a debate on a topic in America, it really does not affect me. There are sides to the debate, neither of which really matter to me. But the human brain is forced to make sense of the reality that you are exposed to.

There is a proliferation of language that is constantly trying to shape my view.

You could argue that most of the conversation is taking place in your head.

Sure, but remember, your brain largely processes information as language when something is novel. It is new information. Think about what the voice in your head is processing. Chances are it was stimulated by what you were exposed to.

Shifting your reality to process less language on a daily basis, or at least language that helps create a better reality for you, could easily be the best gift you gave yourself.

Reach out to me on twitter @rbawri Instagram @riteshbawriofficial and YouTube at www.youtube.com/breatheagain