June 1

THE INTERPRETER

The denotation and connotation of the word “meaning” cluster around the concept of having or conveying intention or purpose.

We continuously search for meaning in our social worlds, within awareness or not. Neural attachment systems in the brain assure this, by dictating that we focus on other humans from the very beginning of life; attachment systems also guide our earliest experiences so that we turn automatically to other humans for pleasure, safety, relief from pain, information, and all of the most significant of our needs. An emerging outcome of these experiences is that we develop a communication system with other humans using “behavioral language”, consisting of both verbal language and nonverbal language (facial expression, vocal intonation, gestures, body posture).

THE INTERPRETER

          The Meaning of “Mean”

The verb “mean”, according to the Oxford English Dictionary, can be understood as:

          to intend to express or refer to something, (of a word) have something as its explanation in the same language or its equivalent in another language, intend to do or be the case, have something as a result, intend or design for a particular purpose, or be of specified importance to someone.

As a noun, “mean” indicates:

          the average values of a set of quantities, or something in the middle of two extremes.

Therefore, “mean” captures a sense of approximation, especially in the noun form — indicating the average among a set of values — while an intention or expression would be anticipated to approximate the actual thing. The original meaning, in Old English, was “common to two or more people”.

On the other hand, as an adjective, “mean” indicates:

          unwilling to give or share things, not generous, unkind or unfair, vicious or aggressive, poor in quality and appearance, or coming from a low social class.

The adjective form seems a surprising shift from the verb and noun forms of “mean”, taking on a strong pejorative tone. Is it possible that this reflects the sloppy or malicious uses of meaning? Might it be speculated that this word related to “meaning” is derived from a connotation of slippery meaning, a conveniently shifting description of intention used to fit the moment? Meaning is easily distorted and hidden during intense conflict within ourselves, as well as during conflict with others.

THE INTERPRETER

          Meaning and Honor

We return to meaning as intention, as well as the problem of multiple meanings in any interaction with others. At the deepest level of significance, at times extending to life and death, meaning, and adherence by an individual to a culturally agreed-upon meaning and its underlying value(s), are reflected in another word, “honor”.

In the Oxford English Dictionary, as a verb, honor indicates:

          * to regard someone or something with great respect, to pay public respect to, or to fulfill a duty or keep an agreement.

The noun form means:

          * great respect, a clear sense of what is morally right, or a person or thing that brings credit to something.

The origin of the word is the Latin “honor”. Honor lay at the core of the Roman culture, especially in the Roman army, where it shaped all behavior.

The “obtuseness” that one experiences in someone’s behavior and language when honor is missing, and meaning has become slippery and convenient, is an exceedingly common behavior accompanying situations in which the individual experiences intense vulnerability, fear, confusion, and indecision.