Body grammar
When I was a child, my mother corrected my grammar. If I said something incorrectly, she would catch it, say it correctly and wait until I repeated it. As a result, me talks quite goodly.
This was not uncommon at the time for parents to do but, it also was becoming much less common than previously. Since the age of the internet, texting and less emphasis on language in general, parental grammar correction seems non-existent. Of course, to be able a to correct, one must be able to recognise incorrect.
But, there is much more to it these days than that. Today while having coffee with my friend we were talking about his son and my friend mentioned his son's poor posture. He is 14, quite tall but in my friend's words, 'stands like a person trying to look fat.' Poor posture is not uncommon in Finland for men or women.
The idea of deportment, the way one stands and walks, seems long lost and about as known to most these days as the Audrey Hepburn learning to speak correctly in My Fair Lady. The way one carries themselves is highly undervalued these days though and something that people seem to dismiss as unimportant. Body language carries information and, posture gives an indication to all kinds of information about a person without a word being spoken, correctly or not.
By the way someone walks you can predict with some accuracy if there is anger, tension, confidence, laziness or a general lack of attention paid to the self. First impressions are built on looks but, even the sound of the voice is affected by the position of the body. I wrote a post a few weeks back about the importance of looks but, the way someone carries themselves is an amazingly powerful tool.
Hunched over, slouching and general poor physical form is an indicator of a body out of balance, a body that hasn't been exercised to work optimally or, exercised at all. As people crouch for hours on ends staring at screens and down at their phones day in day out, the body suffers. Aches, pains and general discomfort are rife while people seek for relief through medication, the pill-popper generation and, not even the fun ones.
Our physiology as a species doesn't change very fast but the way we task our bodies has changed rapidly. It is no wonder why we are struggling to carry our own weight as not only is our weight increasing, our muscle strength and more importantly, the balance between points is decreasing. In the past where we would use our bodies in a fuller range of movement, we are now largely sedentary and the range employed is narrow. Where does it lead us when children are wearing support braces for back pains due to poor posture?
My friend met my father some years ago when he was visiting Finland for his 75th birthday. He mentioned today how good his posture was and I said, yep, it hasn't changed, he still stands with a straight back. At 82, he still carries himself better than most 18 year olds these days. With all of the access people have to information and tools to help them be better, not many people seem to consider the long term ramifications of being out of shape.
People dismiss those who think about the physical condition and appearance of their body as vain but, our bodies affect our minds and they affect our emotions. To be in optimal balance requires the three points to all work together toward a common point but, many are out of sync.
People say that they listen to their body but, they apparently don't hear what it is saying. Perhaps the grammar is so poor it can no longer get out a clear sentence. Straighten your back, does it hurt, feel tense, pull in various areas, take a lot of effort? It shouldn't.
Taraz
[ a Steem original ]
This is a subject that nobody talks about much. I realize that I have to make an effort to work in my posture because it conveys a message too.
I think part of the strain is as well as spending way too much time on screens (either slouched over staring down at a hand held or slouched over with head forward posture staring at a bigger monitor) is just spending too much time upright in general. Some work places are incorporating standing desks which seems to be a good thing but even still over a standard work day it's a really long time to be making those core muscles hold your body upright.
If we have to be at desks for that long, maybe we need more reclining workstations XD
On your point on not enough exercise, I have noticed the kids at our gymnastics club tend to stand and walk with good posture, and will even generally sit with good posture when chatting to people (although if sitting on the ground they may also casually adopt positions which most people would find uncomfortable XD) but that all goes out the window if they're hanging around by themselves or sharing screens, then they can slouch with the best of them XD
This is part of the training. My wife (ballroom dancer) is the same.
And then she does this when she is with me.... it annoys me :P
I know I need to work on my posture. Like too many people nowadays, I tend to slouch. I catch myself slouching from time to time and have to correct it. Habits take time though.
I am decently skilled at grammar, as I had an English teacher who believed in studying grammar. Therefore, I tend to have a better eye for things than others. It used to get me in trouble when I would correct the grammar of my friends and family. I've since stopped making corrections as they are mostly undesired. That's just been my experience.
I've noticed over the last few months that you put the comma after the "but." Is that common in Australia? I know there are different rules for things in different countries. In the US you would say, "... back about the importance of looks, but the way someone carries" instead of "...looks but, the way..." That's really interesting.
I like learning about the linguistic styling of various counties. It gives perspective which I value.
Thats funny the way you made a comment on the comma. I Noticed here that it is on either side. I even caught myself doing it also. I was taught it goes before, but what do I know about grammar.
it isn't common but, I like to use it this way to change the emphasis slightly. putting the 'but' back there behind the comma puts more importance on what is is to come. I have used it this way a lot in spoken and carried it over intentionally. It interrupts the thought process a little and creates a space to prepare for the next bit of information.
Noticed this too from the beginning. I usually place it before but, sometimes I like to use it after also, to create a different emphasis like you do ;)
When it comes to grammar, written or otherwise, I tend to spend more effort on the message transaction. If I think that something can be utilised to increase uptake/retention, I use it even if not grammatically correct. I was a terrible English teacher but, a good teacher for improving communication.
I approve your message :P
I figured that it was intentional. You seem like a very intentional person. I like that you made it your own.
I always had the same question about the comma hahahaha. Finally I have the answer
My mother corrected my grammar a lot too. One word I can't stand to hear people say is conversate the correct word is converse. I argued with a massage therapist one time because she thought Converse was archaic. I thought her grammar was sloppy. Also I don't talk on the telephone unless I am fully clothed and sitting in an upright position or standing. I never talk to people on the phone lying down. They can always tell. LOL
lolol. really?
In addition to correcting our grammar, my father would often admonish us to keep our 'head up, shoulders back, chest out'. To this day I walk with my shoulders back and my abs braced!
This sounds familiar. Perhaps people just don't care anymore and accept sloppiness.
My body is usually asking for a Mars Bar. To balance out such cravings, I do try to walk from point A to point B as often as I can, rather than use the London Underground.
Often Underground stations are around the corner from each other, though few realise this, as few bother to find out the actual geography of the city they live in, conceiving of London as a myriad of rabbit holes you pop in and out of.
Lately, I leave home earlier just to have the opportunity to walk some of these distances, and I find if I walk a mile I can pass up to three Underground stations in about the same time as it would have taken me to descend into the labyrinth, and travel like a caged rat, ear to ear with my sweaty fellow traveler.
Posture I will probably never perfect, but I feel better for the walking. :)
My wife is an ex-ballroom dancer and it drives me insane when she slouches. All those years of training, her teachers must be ashamed of her :D
Hi taraz. i was talking about this yesterday with my Chiro. the youngsters are getting "text neck". it is a recognized condition. I couldn't believe it. Obviously I have a bad back so posture is everything to me. Forget the language and spelling skills of the children today, they also need to stay and eat healthy.
I don't worry too much about the language these days as I have accepted the world is changing but, not that fast physical ability is not important.
I like the way you explain this sentence because there is nothing to be corrected if there is no one realizing the error.
Taking care of our good posture is necessary because a bad posture will eventually cause a lot of pain especially back pain.
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Your words are very good, the position is so important for the organism and young people do not take it into account now. Today's young people adopt bent and crooked positions, not to mention the way they walk ... and the worst is when they mention the consequences, mock or get upset!
Young kids are super human until they get a little older. When reality hits They are stuck in the medical, economic position that is extremely hard to get out of if even possible.
Its ok because its not there fault.