What did you say…?

The English language has many words that can be confusing. There are some words that are spelled differently, but when pronounced sound the same, but in reality are different (homonyms). For example: to, too, and two are all pronounced exactly the same, but mean quite different things. There are other words that are spelled the same, but pronounced quite differently (homographs). For example, read (I read that blog yesterday. I will read this entry tomorrow.) Another example is the phrase “The dove dove from the sky.” However, perhaps the most difficult thing about our language is words that are spelled the same and sound the same, but have many meanings (homographs that are heteronyms). These are words like shift. Shift can mean a change in something, like a shift in seasons. It can also be a period at work, like working the second shift. It can also mean moving, like shifting in your seat.

Even with all those different troubles with the language my comment today is on words that other cultures were smart enough to differentiate. For example, the word love. I love my wife and kids. I also love ice cream. Does this mean that I feel the same way about my wife and kids as I do ice cream? Not in the slightest. Love your neighbor does not mean the same either. Maybe the Greeks had it right as they came up with 4 distinct words for love. Agape is the kind of love that you have for your spouse and kids. Eros is closer to lust being the “romantic” attraction between two people. Philia is more of a friendship or loyalty as good friends would feel. Storge is affection like one would feel toward a pet. There is a fifth, and lesser known, Greek word that can be lumped in with these. It is Thelema, which is a desire.

With this many different types of love, you can see why there might be confusion in the modern day, especially among young people. They develop an Eros love for that girl in their class and since we only have “Love” for the girl. They don’t realize that they need to grow Agape love for her, just that they are in love with her. When the Eros fades there is nothing there and what do they have now? It’s like when you get sick of your favorite flavor of ice cream – you no longer have “love” for that thing, even though that thing is a person!

With all this confusion, “love” is quickly becoming a word that is thrown around too much and is confusing to many.

Another example of these over-simplified words is the word pride. In English, we know pride can be taken in your work, in your family, in a possession, or in yourself. Taking pride in your work is not a bad thing, however pride is one of the seven deadly sins. In fact, it is identified by the Catholic Church as being the most grave of the seven. So how can you take pride in your work or your children without sinning? A big part of the problem is that the dictionary lists 8 different definitions for pride! Throwing out the definitions for a group of lions, a group of acrobats, and a spirit in horses, we will look at the different kinds of pride.

1. A sense of one’s own proper dignity; self-respect. This pride needs to be kept under control. As long as our pride is honest, this is a good kind of pride. It is only when we have inflated images of ourselves that we run astray from this good type of pride.
2. Satisfaction taken in an achievement, possession, or association. This is the kind of pride that I have in my work. I always want to do a good job and make sure that what I do is quality work. It is also the kind of pride that I take in my girls. This kind of pride is generally safe as well. The danger in this one is forgetting Who gave me the ability to do good work or where those girls I love so much came from. As long as we remember where our blessings come from, this kind of pride leads to jobs well done.
3. The cause of satisfaction as stated in #2. This could be your talent or your possession or you association. For example, my good work is my pride. Another example is, My girls are my pride and joy.
4. Arrogant or disdainful conduct or treatment; haughtiness. Fastosus is the Latin word for this kind of pride. Looking down on others and thinking you are better than them is the problem with this kind of pride. This is the kind of pride that damages our relationships and leads us to end up lonely and resentful.
5. An excessively high opinion of oneself. This kind of pride has been around since ancient times. In fact, Hubris (Greek) or Superbia (Latin) are some ancient words that were used to refer to this kind of pride. This is the worst form of pride. This is the type of pride that makes me think I’m better than you. It can also be defined as Self-Love or arrogance. It is usually exaggerated meaning that maybe the bearer of this kind of pride is not really as good as he or she thinks.
   
   Another form of this kind of pride is vanity. For those who are familiar with the movie Se7en, this is the kind of pride that the killer uses to take the life of a woman. He disfigures her face, knowing that she is very vain and gives her the choice to call for help or take her life. Knowing that she couldn’t go on not being beautiful, the woman chooses the later.

There are many more words like “Love” and “Pride” that have so many meanings that we don’t know which one is meant. This can be hard for those who are trying to live holy lives. When we hear love your neighbor and think, “I don’t feel the same way about the family next door that I do about my kids” it is because of the wrong interpretation. We shouldn’t automatically assume that anything we have pride in is automatically bad since it is the deadliest of the deadly sins. The bench that my brother and I built is something that I’m very proud of and there is nothing wrong with that. The problem is determining the meaning that is meant when teachings are presented to us and using the intended meaning to structure our behavior, rather than just doing what we think it means. If we can’t understand what something means, remember that we can always ask our priest and get a solid definition of what the teaching is really saying.

So we will work hard to find the meaning behind the words that we hear and now, I’m back to my mission…