Meaning: “conveying a significance that is not directly expressed . . .”
Meaning-making is meant to be a logical, truth loving process, Dear Reader.
But what if someone trips up and falls flat on her/his beautiful/handsome face in the briar patch (of wild roses) of meaning?
What if they leave out a step?
What if they are not so truthful with themselves or scrupulous as to well-attend the process?
Well, that’s the point. Make a misstep in the 7-step process and the process ceases to serve well.
Thus the justification for arguing one must take a careful step-wise approach to meaning.
Consider the finance process described last blog. Imagine the mess if, say . . . Step #5—Qualification: I hate finances! gets left out. Well, guess what. The outcome of the process is going to yield very different results from there on. Possibly something like this . . .
Step #6—Integration stated: I love my spouse and she/he has a good financial head on her/his shoulders.
Without honest confession in the prior step that one is dragging one’s feet on helping with the finances, without the frank and upfront acknowledgment that one hates finances and wants to avoid them like the plague, thinking can now morph into any number of statements, such as the self-serving statement: My spouse doesn’t want me interfering in the finances (denial), or my spouse will just think I’m stupid (projection), or that’s her/his job (defensive).
There are more.
But let’s move to Step #7: She/he can take the lead, but times are hard, I can be a helper.
Instead of this conscious, considerate deliberation, Step #7 may now wind up something like this: He said he would do the finances, not me (rationalization), or he’s so condescending I won’t even try (irrationality), or I have more than I can do, he can do it by himself, he has failed me by not doing all the finances himself (condemnation).
Just admitting that one has antipathy for a particular subject adds weight and balance to the thinking process that alone can careen off course and what? Be a major . . . Oops! That’s what!
To be continued . . .
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