Roland Barthes, in La mort de l'auteur, wrote that "to give text to an Author is to impose a limit on that text." He argued that the meaning of any given text was derived from the individual reading it, not from the musings of the author.
When we read a text, our natural inclination is to see it from our perspective. We don't consider the author because we're not the author. The same is true of modern day "texts," if you will. The moment someone pushes send, tweet, or post, a piece of information is put on display for the world to see, and no two people will interpret it like another.
But let's consider how it would go if these words were spoken. Could it be easier to understand, or would the author of the words still die as soon as they leave his lips? I would argue that the author dies as those words are spoken. Misunderstandings aren't often a result of the medium through which the words are transferred. They are a result of misinterpretation on the part of the one who is listening. People will find a way to misconstrue anything in any way that they can.
So don't worry, kids. You can keep on tweeting. But death may be coming your way.
I think that this goes along with the fact that you can't take back what you say. You said it, written or spoken, and you can't take it back, even if you say something else that counters what you just said. Also, relating to people taking different sayings different ways, I think it's because we are all different. When reading your post, I thought about scripture reading, and how, every time you read it, it means something different.
ReplyDeleteHaha that is too true about the English teachers! I always felt like they looked way deeper than what the author was actually trying to say. But I like the point you make saying that maybe that's okay- it's more important to use it for yourself and apply it to your life now. I disagree, however, and think unless it is super dramatic, once it leaves the lips it will soon be forgotten, or lost through generations.
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