We value communication in every industry and every job. We practice it daily, but rarely master it. When we awkwardly talk with strangers, we find ourselves sweating profusely. Our neurons rapidly fire, choosing the right words to say in the right order, tailoring on the go. Communication isn’t easy, and when we add controversy, anonymity, and the internet into the mix, communication becomes a nice, juicy flustercuck.
Online debates are often bubbling, boiling pots of irrationality, anger, and hatred. Differing perspectives are met with preset skepticism and condescension. Interweb citizens are wrong until proven right. And if you just so happen to misspell a word or use improper grammar? Heaven forbid! All notion of a sensible argument is lost, as the ravenous commenters feast on your mistakes. You lowly piece of turd, how could you have missed the ‘m’ in “whom”?! Do you speak English, you America-hating troll nugget? Alas, you have failed as a human being…
Grammar and spelling in particular have been a continual struggle between the nazis and the notzis. Exceptional prose and eloquence are, strangely, assumed to be a standard on the internet, as if the billion+ English speakers on the earth were award-winning novelists. Why this turmoil continues, I think there are two primary reasons:
- Language syntax is the easiest hole to poke in an argument, allowing an opponent to ignore any relevant and reasonable arguments.
- Spelling and grammar are taken as infallible laws of the land, set in stone to be obeyed by the masses.
The first occurs because we naturally don’t like being wrong. When reading an opposing view, we tend to dismiss it as false, especially in a heated debate. Because our language mistakes are easy to find, they serve to divert attention away from our valid points and to belittle the our intellect. Then, subsequently, our families, ethnicities, and genitalia!
The second item occurs because there is a belief that rules are rules, and they shouldn’t be broken. After all, these rules are written by respectable authorities who have devoted their lives to the language. They know best how to write properly, and as such, we ought to obey. While that may be the case, this mentality is flawed.
Spelling, grammar, and language are not dictated by the rule makers. They are the result of society, its culture, and its changes over time. Language is ruled by you and me. We don’t follow the rules; we make the rules. Our language and culture are not static, and thus neither are the rules. They continually change over time. An entirely new culture and language came about from the relatively recent advent of the internet. 20 years ago, words like “google” meant something entirely different. Today, “ain’t” , “twerk”, and “selfie” are fully fledged terms that can be found in reputable dictionaries. Feels, hashtags, and derps have flooded the web. Language is quickly changing, and we’re the ones responsible.
Case in point: a friend recently pointed out that YOLO is an incorrectly worded phrase. It stands for “you only live once”, which the grammarians say should be “you live only once”. Right or wrong doesn’t matter, as long as the spirit of yolo is properly conveyed when it is said, and it is. No normal person today is going to hear it and question its actual meaning, only to have an epiphany when it’s corrected with YLOO. Whether or not it is proper in the traditional sense, it’ll be used in its current form until the rule-makers surrender and add it to the dictionary.
Communication is the act of transporting thoughts and ideas from one mind to another. Grammar, spelling, and diction are all tools that facilitate how quickly or clearly a thought is reproduced. But as long a message is understood by the receiver, it doesn’t matter how improperly it was transmitted. Of course, a person’s message might be so poorly formed that it can’t be decoded, but maybe English is their 3rd language. Maybe they’re only 6 years old. Or maybe, they’re literally insane. Who knows, but they probably didn’t care enough about grammar to have avoided the mistake in the first place. Would you, a random condescending stranger, be the one to finally change their ways?
The next time you read something that you disagree with, take it as an opportunity to open your mind, to see something previously unseen. Look beyond the spelling mistakes, split infinitives, or run-on sentences. The spirit of a message is more important than the letter. If you seek to understand, the world will become a better, happier place. Because yolo.
izrofel 