Can we truly understand the definite meaning of a word?
How is it that we are able to understand other's intent when words can have a multitude of differing interpretations?
As an audience, it’s a fact that we can never truly grasp the absolute intention regarding the meaning of written text.
Understanding our bias and common experiences can allow us to develop our own interpretations with reasonable accuracy. Often, we question the ideas within any written text of various authors in an attempt to understand, as well as possible, the author’s true intent.
In the episode of the Liturgists’ podcast, “The Asymptotic Fidelity of Words,” the idea that every word to come out of someone’s mouth is discussed as “incredibly biased, filtered narrative that is designed to achieve certain goals.”
Therefore, we draw conclusions based on inclinations towards our own motives because those are the thoughts that cycle constantly through our minds. The basis for interpretation relies on the fundamental principles of bias and shared experience.
According to the Oxford English Dictionary, the ability to interpret is to render words, text, or etcetera of an author. Acknowledging that no two people can possess the same background, and bias, we can assume that some degree of meaning provided by the original text is lost in one’s own expression of ideas.
Cordruta Hainic says, “Communicative success is achieved if the speaker chooses his words in such a way that he hearer will… recognize his communicative intention.” While this view of communication makes sense as a concept, it fails to recognize the internal forces that affect how individuals take in and view information.
When discussing meaning, in any context or media, it’s important that as speakers, writers, and listeners, we must always be aware of the influences that exist on on both sides of the communicative spectrum.
University of Louisiana at Monroe freshmen Steven Babin, Alexis Granier, Lara Wallace, McKenna Webster, and Cameryn Wooden offer ideas on how humans can understand each other despite having varying connotative meanings of a single word.
Students performed research under Vanelis Rivera at ULM, wrote the essays, and chose a narrator.