"Confuse word with thing": We confuse our experiences of the world with the
world itself. Our experiences of the world (or of "the event level" in g-s
terminology) are our nervous system's reactions to its stimuli. We confuse
our reactions to the world with the world itself because traditionally and
culturally we have not ('scientifically') recognized this distinction, and so
have not incorporated it into our language. The "meaning" of a thing to you
is not a property of the thing, but is your nervous system's reaction to the
'thing'.
But of course, your nervous system's reaction to 'a thing' may determine whether or not you survive. Our language is a tool that the human nervous system has evolved for the purpose of 'programming' its reactions to the world in a way that enhances its ability to survive.
However we must be very careful with this tool, and not allow the 'selfish
memes' (human reaction programming 'viruses') it has spawned to lead our
nervous systems into self-destructive behavioral reaction self-programming.
We must come to recognize that, with the advent of language and modern mass
communications, the totality of all human nervous systems comprise a single
"complex adaptive" system, and adjust our nervous systems' linguistic reaction
self-programming accordingly.
Feedback reactions appreciated,
Chris Turner 3/21/99