Manipulating the Meaning of Words to Manipulate the Mind and Behavior

in #philosophy6 years ago

Etymology is currently defined as the study of the origin of words and how their meaning has changed over time. But etymology is etymologically defined as the study of the true sense or meaning of words.

The etymology of etymology is:

from Greek etymologia "analysis of a word to find its true origin," properly "study of the true sense (of a word)," with –logia "study of, a speaking of" + etymon "true sense," neuter of etymos "true, real, actual," related to eteos "true".

This is the original meaning. To see what a word was created to represent. Even if a meaning changed over time, a word was once invented, and when it was invented an meaning was applied to it, and that is the original true meaning that it was invented to represent.

Etymology is looking at the true meaning of words as they were originally created and imbued with meaning. The true meaning related to the origin of the word. Truth is a synonym for what's in reality, "or fidelity to an original or standard" as wikipedia puts it. Etymology is the study of the true and original meaning of words, because the true meaning is related to fidelity to the original meaning. Even though a meaning may change, there is still an original meaning for the invention of a word for which a meaning was imbued.

Staying true to what's in reality, or staying true to the original meaning, is fidelity. The exactness of reproducing and reflecting reality into a word and being loyal to support that meaning. There are also unrealities, things we imagine, and create words for them as well. We can be loyal to support hose meaning as they were original imbued with meaning, despite not reflecting anything true in reality.

Sometimes we don't have the original of meaning, and only it's current meaning. A word may have changed meaning over time, and we wouldn't know. But the root compounds that form a word are important to know what a word was created to mean, regardless of it's change.

Words are created with a purpose to express meaning about something. Words are imbued with a meaning. Words symbols are created to reflect and represent aspects of being in reality, or something we imagine in our minds.


Source

Word symbols are important. They are used to represent, reference and correspond to something. We can invent words to reference something real that actually exists in objective existence, but also something imagined that only "exists" in our subjective consciousness. Just because something can be imagined in the "light" of our mind's eye (our internal individual made-up "reality"), does not necessarily mean it exists in the light of reality (the external objective existence). Perception is not de facto reality. Perception in consciousness does not dictate an automatic reference for existence in reality. The goal is to align individual perception with universal reality and truth.

To know the meaning of a word is to know what it represents in reality. Abstract language is mostly arbitrary at first, but not the meaning once a definition has been applied to a word symbol. We could name any part of reality anything we want, but we would be essentially creating a new language.

Existing languages already have definition with meaning imbued into it, we can't simply redefine words at our whim to change their meaning. Attempts to do so create confusion with the use of the same term to represent something differently. If you can alter the meaning of words for people to accept, by influencing their consciousness, then you can alter their perception of consciousness. This is the power and magic of word symbols.

"The limits of my language mean the limits of my world."
– Ludwig Wittgenstein

Words, symbols and language are "magical arts" in a sense, because they can lead to greater freedom and comprehension of reality. They can also be twisted and altered to suit a "sorcerer" mindset who can manipulate our perception and understanding of reality to keep us enslaved in false constructs and beliefs.

Think of all the fantasy fiction in movies and books; the magic was often done with spells and words they spoke. The "sorcerer" people as dark/black practitioners use magic to manipulate and control others for their own gains, while the "wizard" light/white magicians used their power for good.

Etymology reveals the true sense/meaning of words. Words reflect something we are trying to communicate about. We use many words, and sometimes their true nature has become hidden from us.

We think "anarchy" means chaos, when it's truly the representation of freedom from rulers or masters where there are no slaves. Similarly, the word "occult" has been given negative connotations like evil, dark, dangerous, etc., when it only means hidden or secret.

Using either of those words in an altered or the original way, will create a different perception of reality. The positive use of the word can get erased and it's true meaning forgotten. Perceptions of reality can be obfuscated or distorted with the use of words.


Made by @krnel

Speech represents words that represent meaning. Ancient Egypt/Kemet had a term for magical or meaningful speech, "heka". Speech is the "Art of Mouth", whether it be true of voice (maa kheru), or a silver tongue that lies and manipulates, the art can be used for right or wrong, light or dark. The trivium method's rhetoric is the Art of Communication, which comes after the Art of Inventing and Combining Symbols (grammar) and the Art of Thinking (logic).

Why the mouth and speech as magic (heka)?

Heka was a foundation concept and also personified as a god in Kemetian creation mythopoetic narratives. Heka realistically represents the power of speech to change and alter the world around us through the influence and affect that word symbols have on consciousness. We make decisions and act based on the information we have, true or false. Our actions create the human world, which come from our consciousness that drives and motivates such actions. Heka is a "magical" power potential in all higher consciousness beings that can use the art of mouth to influence others.

There are many ideas that are sold where people buy into them and live accordingly. These are spells, invocations and conjurings, that are summoned and injected into consciousness through the simplicity of being heard and listened to. This is magic of the highest kind, imperceptible, hidden and mysterious, unless you know how to see and hear what is being done to you.

The magic of word symbols, "magical phrases" or buzz words, can be used as opiates to fearful masses. Make people "feel-good", love-bomb them, and you can more easily gain and generate trust, loyalty, faith and belief in you as someone to listen to and follow in life.

"Spiritual" gurus have this effect on people, whether intended or not. This is what politicians do with their sophistry and rhetoric to lie and manipulate people's consciousness into certain behaviors. The entertainment industry, television, "gurus", politicians, priests, and more, can all amaze, mesmerize, hypnotize, induce, summon and invoke beliefs and altered states of consciousness to entrain us into specific modalities of living.

Everything you hear and see, from other people speaking, what they do, the media, and everything else in your socio-environmental scope of perception, is affecting you from the day you are born until the day you die. It all shapes you into who you are and who you become. Knowing what words mean is important.

"The limits of my language mean the limits of my world."
– Ludwig Wittgenstein

Consciousness is powerful. Words are powerful. Spells cast on consciousness (thoughts and emotions, "mind and "heart") are powerful mind-, thought- and emotional-control. With the magic of spells (words) and the science of imagery (symbolism), you can get people to accept falsity as truth.

You can get people to accept beliefs that will change their behavior and actions to what you want them to do. This is to bend the will of others to your will (sorcery). Word symbol magic and their "spells" are powerful and can manipulate our lives and steer us in certain directions, path and ways of living.

It sounds like fictional magic and fantasy, but it's all done with the power of consciousness and symbols. Etymology gives us the power to be masters of the name, to know the true name, meaning and definition for an aspect of reality. This is in a sense to be a "master" over how to make sense of reality, and not be a mere subject or slave to the power of a spell cast on us in order to get us to act in certain ways.


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I do remember way back when the internet first started. I read an article about how language is supposed to evolve and the internet will hurt this. Well years later even with spelling check, it has not stopped the evolution of words. But one good thing it did was to record the evolution of words.

Language can evolve, we can add new words. But there is no need to redefine words consultant. We should create words if we want to describe something that isn't yet being referenced with a word, not change it to add more confusion. Inverting meaning is just confusing, like urban subculture inverted sick as good, or other words.

This is in direct alignment with several posts I did recently. The dark sorcerers control the dialogue (education, media, political, judicial) and have twisted the sheeple into a dysfunctional mess that appears close to (un)civil war. It is like they are purposely installing the Legion program in as many as they can.

Yes, control the dialogue and control w hat is or isn't talked about, and that's all people will know. Social media giants are headed this way lately. Restrict, constrict, push down, censor and ban certain topical content.

I really liked this post. For anyone reading the comments who wants to look up the etymology of words, I have found The Online Etymological Dictionary quite useful.

One of the most interesting terms in today's political climate is the verb 'discriminate', which originally was a neutral term for distinguishing between two things. Only in 1866 did it begin to be used in a negative sense to describe a negatively biased cognitive process. Curiously, 'discriminating taste' is still a positive thing. These kind of interesting facts that allow us to better understand the words we use is why etymology is so important, and fun!

Yup, discriminate is to judge, distinguish, discern, evaluate. Nothing wrong with that ;) Etymology is great to learn about words. People would greatly benefit from looking deeper into meaning.

What a masterpiece article @krnel! Meaning of words play a big role in our perception building. We see meaning of a word according to the concept we had built around that word. This can generate prejudices in our mind. We can be a victim of misconception. Hence, it is very important to know the true sense of the words.

Yup, we need to be on the same page, define our terms so we understand what we're talking about. That's why definitions exist, and hwy words have certain meaning, not just any meaning. There would be too much confusion if words didn't mean something specific.

Exactly!

Ooh, you've written a whole series on this. Excellente.

Thoughts while reading this: the Christian idea of the Word of God, the common meaning of which people abstract down into the actual words of the bible where it actually seems to be about the spoken word than written, ie, needs embodiment, not abstraction.

I read an interesting article the other day about certain parts of the world being in pre-fascism and their leaders doing a bit of "test marketing" to test the waters. What will the people accept? Will they be okay with references to seekers of asylum being labelled as the kind of people who will "infest" a country?

Sorry to bring politics into it, and especially country-specific politics, but it just struck me as I was reading this post that that was a good example of what you speak of here. The manufacturing of consent by manipulating the people. All countries do it. It's awfully hard to watch it in action, isn't it.

Peace and freedom to all.

Well when immigration in not controlled, it can be likened to an infestation, where a large influx can cause damage on the structure of a nation.

Word manipulation as an art form that can be used for good or evil. Many Poets of used it in a very positive way while politicians use it to their own benefit. One must be wise to the true meaning behind words motives and intentions rather than the words themselves. Hope your significant others doing better. @krnel

Thanks, she is. Words can illuminate us, or trap us in darkness, like many things.

Modern word manipulators such as those at The Tavistock Institute (England) or The New School for Social Research (NYC) are among the most dangerous people on the planet. People like George Orwell tried to warn us what the elitists would do to try to reshape the world through perversion of language.

Yup, newspeak and double-think have been tools to narrow the range of thought and perception of reality.

Well said..

Now if we could just get a few million more people aware of this agenda...

Oh...get your geek 🤓 on right here. I love that you started this by looking at the etymology of the word “etymology”. 😆🙌🏽

This topic has been up for discussion with me and my friends lately. The power, or lack thereof, of words. Their impact, if any, on our reality. Etc etc

Yes, looking at the origin of words is interesting, a whole story can be weaved from it at times :)

This is the kinda article that you just have to sit your ass down and use all of your brain :P

A good 'brain' workout for the day, huh?

Precisely. I like how he just cuts through all the bs and gets straight to the point :P

LOL, yes indeed it is :P

The clarity of a thought is dictated by the words used to construct it.

Indeed. It's hard to imagine conscious thought without language, as it would likely only be unconscious thought patters than are not describable, only unconsciously or intuitively understand.

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