Inconsistency of word use

| Wednesday, September 2, 2009
This isn't exactly related to WoW, but it's something that bugs me: I don't given consistent meanings to words and I suspect it harms my writing.

Recent example: compare two recent posts. Loot is temporary with Temporary vs. Permanent: Fun. The first was trying to go for some sort of Buddhist notion of the temporary nature of all things, so don't get too clingy and greedy about anything, especially loot. The second was only two weeks later and put loot in the permanent category as something that won't go away instantly.

The problem wasn't that I was wrong. Well, I don't think it was. :)
The problem was that I described the same idea: loot, with entirely contradictory terms without clearly explaining why there was actually no contradiction. Okay so I did give some explanation, briefly and indirectly:
In contrast permanent fun is that which creates a persistent change. It could be a rep grind or getting a piece of loot. While these can become obsolete, they still remain as a permanent reward for the activity.

The loot and rep grinds remain, but their importance fades. Since reality is constructed in our minds, if something ceases to be important, then for practical purposes it ceases to exist. The loot is still there, but it's not there anymore, if you know what I mean.

What causes this sort of accidental contradiction anyway? I blame it on the source of ideas: my brain. More specifically, the way some ideas are created. You've probably gotten ideas in different 'formats.' Sometimes it's an image, or words, or actions. If an idea comes in word format, it's easy to copy down. If it comes in image format, that's much harder to translate. If it comes as an action, good luck, that's all I can say. The problem was that my permanent vs. temporary idea had come as images; the temporary fun was a film going by, instant moments which instantly vanish but can be replaced with something almost like it; while the permanent fun was like a pyramid or something like that being built, not fun at any moment, but the result is awesome.

So fine, maybe I was just now able to convert the images, but did they have any meaning? I felt like that was lost. The connection to the original point vanished in the conversion process. My first explanation in the earlier post was a different attempt, but it also lost something, mostly due to poor word choice.

On the subject of writing, I currently have 79 posts in my drafts folder. Why? A few are being saved for when my mind doesn't have any ideas, like a water tower ready for a drought. But the majority are half-posts, an idea I'd get and go with and then get to the end and go "WTF was that?" I am very glad I have those though, because if they weren't in my drafts folder they'd be labeled "published" and then you'd be reading them going "WTF was that?"

I'm sure you know the type of writing you do when you get a little bit angry about something and start writing, or a little bit emo or annoyed or whatever. Supposedly blogging is supposed to be about the here and now and write it up and post it and don't waste all that time, losing ideas, because you're editing. I know I'm not an amazing writer, but I at least hope I have some standards. I don't write u because it's faster than you, so why would I post a half-baked illogical rant about raiding when I know all that will happen is everyone will point out the flaws, one person will agree (someone somewhere will agree with anything), and I'll feel really stupid. I'd rather do that internally, cut out the middle men (the readers who think the post is stupid), and just call myself stupid. It's more efficient and much less harmful to my ego, since if I really am stupid, why would I listen to my own opinion on my intelligence? Idiot.


Anonymous said...

Ohhh go on... give us a reason to disagree...

Klepsacovic said...

"What is this? You must forgive me, but I was not expecting company. As you can see, we are somewhat preoccupied right now. But no matter. As I am a gracious host, I will tend to you... personally."

In other words, you asked for it. :P

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