dave posted a link to this article about the worlds most difficult words to translate.
this statement really hit home for me:
“Probably you can have a look at the dictionary and… find the meaning,” she said. “But most importantly it’s about cultural experiences and… cultural emphasis on words.”
this is my exact reason for playing the dictionary game. i wish to learn more about the cultural emphasis and meaning that different individuals and cultures place on common words. as part of my path of claiming conscious language, i usually tend to have a few words at any time that i am “working on”… working to fully integrate a meaning that feels right throughout my entire being… and i strive to attain some clarity about how the word reflects off of and is interpreted by others. my practice is to come to a clear meaning for what the word means for me and that aids me in staying centered. (i also stay open to an ever-evolving definition… rarely am i satisfied to a point of completion, but i find grounding for the time-being!) this practice has been especially helpful when something is projected upon me with words (projected by myself or another). i find a comforting sense of grounding in this practice.