An Introduction

I love language. Like you, I use it every day. Like most of you, I think about what I say. Like some of you, I even take the time to study it. But I'd have to disagree with the Old Fool Polonius when he says, in so many words, "Brevity is the soul of wit". I'm as much a fan of minimalism and being cleverly vague as the next guy. But most of the time, I've found more eloquence and clarity in being substantial and vivid in my musings. Sometimes being brief just confuses people. For instance:

If you spent any part of your life actually growing up and learning to be, you may have heard the phrase "Rules are made to be broken." Misused, to exercise brevity. From what I've come to understand, the phrase is more applicable to the process of studying an art form. As you exercise the discipline to memorize the principles, conventions, and basic process of creating a certain work of art, then you not only lay the foundation for your talent and become more skilled through practice...you also instinctualize these rules, and learn when it is appropriate to break them. That very well may not be what it means, but to me, that makes a lot more sense than whatever hedonism people are trying to promote whenever they drop that phrase.

Other times being brief simply falls short:

"The Church is true, the people aren't."

You will never hear me say that on this blog. Not because I think that quote is rubbish, but because I don't think an eight-word mantra does justice to my frustrations.

In the following posts I will expound.