At its heart, language serves to further understanding and inspire new thought. What we each possess in our own minds is uniquely powerful and unmatched in the natural world throughout all other species… the ability to become more than we once were and grow significantly beyond our natural instincts. Coupled with the ability to communicate complex ideas, human knowledge also becomes more than a mere sum of its parts. As a society we grow both individually and together through the exchange of ideas and information.

This exchange relies upon one caveat—that knowledge grows and it is never finite. When we close off to new input in the self-assured belief that an immutable conclusion to a matter has been reached, the communication process often suffers. Sometimes this happens with the best of intentions. In current times, when someone urges “Don’t participate in the recession,” I tend to wonder what their reaction would be if their home burned down and a well-meaning passer-by told them, “Don’t participate in the combustion.” A recession, like a fire, is a real thing that has consequences. While sharing a positive attitude to not give in to negative circumstances in admirable, sharing a meaningless platitude that is not connected to reality is neither helpful nor hopeful.

Sometimes we seek to preserve our own perceptions more so than trying to change those of another. Inasmuch as clichés of positive thinking lack useful application, so does self-created defeatism such as “Life is unfair” or “Such is life.” Again, while such a statement may have an application, to use a generality as shut-off valve to critical thinking doesn’t bring about solutions.

And there are those that seek to impart an idea to others while also making sure that no one has an opportunity to engage in the same with them. All sorts of discussions regarding matters of religion or politics begin with fallacies and thought-terminating clichés that are presented as irrefutable when, in fact, the statement represents an inability to refute a specific point made or question asked. There are ad hominem attacks, red herrings, hasty generalizations, and false cause-effect arguments. Then, there is my personal favorite, using a statement that is at question as proof of itself.

In the end, I may use life’s lemons to make lemonade, even though life is unfair, knowing that God works in mysterious ways, because freedom of religion isn’t freedom from religion, and that approach is just like all the other crackpot conservatives just repeating what I heard on talk radio. But maybe, just maybe, even if I espouse an idea or principle that seems familiar, I actually have a new reason and purpose for doing so. The platitude may be memorable, but it’s the attitude that must be purposeful. Then, a discussion can serve to be the beginning of thought, not the end of it. If we each singularly possessed complete and total understanding of ourselves, others, policy, and spirituality, why then would we even need to communicate?

That is if you can listen to me, given that I have heard I am a cold, hard-hearted, racist, Hell-bound unbeliever, and fascist who is both overly-educated and ignorant. Only you can decide, but C’est la vie. But where there’s smoke there’s fire, and what the Lord giveth, the Lord also can taketh away. The Bible says so, and it’s true because the Bible said so. Though I’m intolerant and in favor of book burning because I just mentioned a higher power. It’s obviously a no-brainer.

Jared A. Chambers