It’s been brought to my attention that I’m using words and concepts with non-traditional meanings and that some people are having trouble understanding me. While I certainly don’t intend to confuse people, I often find that words have definitions which do not work very well for detailed analysis or may inherit meanings from sloppy usage.
An example:
Belief - As I mentioned in a previous post, belief is the acceptance of something that has not been verified as truth. With this definition, belief can be pure fantasy or one’s educated opinion on a long-studied topic. Belief can also refer to knowledge of something not directly available to logical analysis; religious belief. While all of these definitions are correct, if one wishes to consider one facet of belief, one can either use the same word with limited meaning, find a more accurate word, or make up a new word. Since I am writing casual posts to a blog with no expectation of peer review, I am using the more general word and expecting people to stretch their minds and come to an understanding of my meaning so I don’t have to resort to words which may send them either scrambling for a dictionary or to the next web site. If anyone is confused about the use of a word, leave a comment. I will try to answer your questions.
My intention for this blog was for it to be thought-provoking and increase understanding. It isn't rocket science, nor is it in any way critical for anyone but me (if that).
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