I have challenged myself to read a book that I would consider difficult reading. It is in the area of philosophy and theology. Areas that I do not have a lot of background.
Forced to look up the meaning of words that I was not familiar with led me to a surprise. That common words can have a much deeper meaning than I thought.
Communion, I thought, was the act of receiving the body and blood of Christ at Church. This is true in many Christian faiths. But when I looked up communion, the internet defined it as: “the act or instance of sharing, as of thoughts and feelings – religious or spiritual fellowship”. While I know my definition works, it was interesting to learn of a broader meaning of the word communion.
What other words do we think we know but carry a depth and breadth of perspective that we never see because our definitions are more narrow and limited by our experience?
Our narrow understanding of what do words mean leads us to limited perspectives, misguided understandings and faulty logic. Listening becomes more difficult because words that are shared may be thought of in a broader context by the sender yet captured in our mind with a much smaller context than intended.
Life is complicated. What do words mean should be asked more often. Making the dictionary our friend when trying to understand things better. (Even with words we think we know.)