Apparently, all I’ve been able to do today is offend people in some form or fashion with the words that I choose. It seems like the second my fingers hit the keys, I’m led down the inexorable path to offend and cause harm to others. Call me crazy, but this seems like the antithesis to what I’ve been striving for with all of this talk about living in ma’at. I’ve been thinking calmly, coolly, and rationally before responding, but apparently, I am careless all over the place and let things slip out without realizing it. This, in turn, has offended other people in various instances. And the shit just keeps rolling downhill. While I know that I’m over-emotional because of it being that time of the month, I also know that the emotional toll of this knowledge stems from the fact that I feel that I cannot express myself properly in any way, shape, or form without causing harm, which in turn is causing harm to the path that I, ultimately, hope that I can tread. I was reduced to tears earlier when I thought about writing this entry, but as time has passed, the emotions fell away and I felt able to write this post… only to learn that the shit storm is still rolling down hill and look at that. Tears, again.
A while back, I used the word “rape” in a context not associated with sexual assault. I was utilizing it in regards to just what a mechanic is liable to do to you if you’re not careful enough. Since the word “rape” does have other definitions and I was utilizing it this context, “an act of plunder, violent seizure, or abuse; despoliation; violation.” This was, apparently, not correct. I was called to the carpet, so to speak, and laid out. I explained that the above definition was the version I was using and apologized for having offended. I felt awful in a variety of ways. I felt badly for having brought someone a possible trigger. I felt guilty for having utilized a word that could be so offensive to someone. And then, I was angry that my jest was taken so literally. I felt like I was being singled out and pointed the finger at. Even writing this, I’m feeling all of these things, but mostly overwhelmed. I ended up deciding that I’m kind of done with that quarter. (Just a note: This happened on TC for anyone who cares. I think this has soured me from there for a while.) I cannot change it, but I was so mad. Why should I stem my speech because someone else can’t handle it?
But, heka right? And words have power, right?
Well, I ranted a bit on my FB about it. It was just a place to let off steam. The thing is that I forgot… I am friends on FB with various people who post on this forum and may or may not have seen the original commentary. And guess what? Yes, someone from TC commented on my FB status about it. She raised a point and I conceded that to her, but I don’t agree. I don’t feel the need to curb things because others can be negatively impacted. As I talked about this with the Sister, she even went on to say that in using the words in day-to-day speech, it aids to desensitize us to the traumas we have experienced and I had to agree. Does that mean that I use “rape” regularly? No. Does that mean that I should keep my mouth shut? Apparently because all this has shown me is that my words offend, which means that obviously, I’m not paying too close attention to the heka I’m striving for.
And later, I received an E-mail from my mom about something else. I offended a mutual Christian friend with telling her that I believed the Exodus stemmed from the Hyksos expulsion out of Egypt. This hurt my feelings because, even though we don’t see eye-to-eye and as I said somewhere she doesn’t give me a lick of credit for even saying that the Exodus happened, she is my friend. And while I see that I am running out of spoons for that quarter, it still sucks that I managed to offend her sensibilities. And then, later, my mother told me that things I’ve said have offended her. Even though she is not a practicing Christian, some of the terms I’ve utilized to sarcastically remark about Christian holidays have offended her. And while I was already hurt and wounded from having brought harm to someone else, it was made ten times worse when I realized that my careless attitude has negatively affected my mother as well. Nothing else matters, really, in lieu of my mother’s aches because I will never meet the Christian friend or the person from TC. All that matters is that I stupidly offended my mother.
Even after deciding that I was living in ma’at and taking more care.
Ah. Water works. There are the tears that I’ve been suppressing just about all day.
I feel stupid and retarded. I feel like I’ve made this epic decision to live a better life, but no matter what the hell I try, it still fucking fails. I feel like I can’t do anything right: a stupid foolish little girl who is playing with things beyond her ken. All of this falls down around me and all I can see is that every time I let my fingers spread across the keys or I open my mouth, I end up hurting someone. What’s the point anymore? What is the point to any of this shit anymore? What’s the point to the idols and to the incense and to the offerings and to the walking beside these beings if I can’t even figure out how to speak/type without bringing harm to others?
I’ve always thought of heka as us imbuing power into words. I’ve always thought if it as our conscious decision to put power into the things we say. But, as time goes by, I seem to realize that the words have power on their own. If we ignore them, maybe that power will flee (in the case of words like “rape,” for instance) but we don’t do that. Human beings pay too close attention to those negative things that we give them more power than a girl like me can handle. And at this juncture? This girl just can’t fucking handle it.
Mystical Bewilderment 
It’s not about offending. It’s about triggering.
Personally, your usage of the word rape served to remind me of two of the worst experiences of my life. To describe losing money at a mechanic’s.
That hurts when it comes from someone I consider a friend.
And I understand your feelings, too, so I want to tell you that while I’m triggered, I don’t hate you. And you should also know that a bad day with words does not mean complete failure at heka.
It’s a process.
Words have power. You understand that. You’re changing your actions and your speech accordingly. That’s good.
You will have bad days. That’s human. If the gods wanted us to be perfect, they would have given up on humans a long time ago.
So. Take a break, step back, regroup. Maybe watch a movie or take a nap. Or eat some chocolate/equally pleasing food. You’ll feel better afterwards and better able to deal with the consequences of bad days.
And in the future, you can use violate, plunder, despoil, scam instead of rape.
(This all said, you may not want to read my blog post today until you’re feeling better.)
I use the word in my speech a lot. As I said in my above post, I don’t use it daily. However, both the Sister and I (survivors both) use it often. And in our context, we tend to use it to subconsciously mean, “I’m taking back this fucking word. It’s not ruining my fucking life. I will OWN it.” Since I tend to use this in speech with family and friends who are (A) aware of my circumstances and trigger-related issues, (B) have had similar issues and (C) don’t get triggered or offended or upset, I ended up bringing it into a place where trigger and offense or emotions could get the better part of someone NOT of my immediate family. (Does that make sense? I’m writing this with an emotional hangover right now. Heh.) For that, I apologize. But, I still think that owning the word is better than letting it trigger me.
And just for the record, I understand that where I am in my working through this is NOT where you are. And I don’t think you should follow my example. To each their own, especially when healing comes into play.
I ended up eating chocolate ice cream with mini-M&Ms, sprinkles, and fudge chunks in it. The best damned fix EVAR.
(I’m going to read your blog post anyway. I usually delete the E-mails that have the word “trigger” in them, but it’s time that I start working on the visual cues that can set me off. I appreciate your warning, though.)
I couldn’t see the replies to your post on Facebook, I suppose the person who made the comments has me blocked ( I know of at least 6 HoN peeps offhand, there may be more). Some people will find an excuse to be offended. Take for instance the word Gay. Originally it meant “to be happy, filled with joy”, now it means something totally different. In England the word “fag” means cigarette or in some uses a “bundle of sticks”. You can really raise some eyebrows in America by saying ” Ah I went out today and had me a fag, sucked really hard on that thing until I lit that cherry (lit part of the cigarette) up. Whoo it was just what I needed. I may go out in a few minutes and suck up another one.”
As to rape. I was raped by my uncle when I was 5 years old and I’m male. This was like a forced bull queer prison type of rape. I mention this because to me it’s just a word, though I don’t like movies that show either male or female rape scenes (I skip over them). To a degree I agree that words have power but in my opinion it’s only in the sense of how much you allow them to have. Back in the 1970’s Blacks were called a certain “N” word, whereas nowadays they have “taken it back” and the word means “intimate friend or comrade” who is also Black. They took a racist word and changed the meaning of it into something positive for themselves. They refused to let the words used by others continue to hurt them and I have great respect for that. When it comes to rape, I think people allow the word to exert too much power over themselves. Rape is something that was done to me but it doesn’t define who I am. A black eye is something that was given to me, but it doesn’t define who I am overall.
I’m probably gonna fuck up by saying this, but here goes anyway.
I think some people revel in their pain and embrace it and are unable to move past it, but a person has to move past it if any healing is ever to be done.
As the friend to many who have experienced sexual assault, I will admit it’s a problem of trigger and not of offense, and for some it is a very bad trigger. As a feminist I have become used to various words that I know can trigger (words for gay/lesbian people, words for trans people, using rape in the wrong context, speaking casually about physical assault) and make a conscious effort not to use them. Those of us who have never been raped in any context have a privilege in using that word many of those who have experienced do not. Now, at the above commenter: My close friend was drugged and sexually accosted against her will, and I know how badly it broke her, and still breaks her. She has nightmares about it. Not everyone can just ‘get over’ being raped. And just because you have moved past it and someone else has not, that does not give you license to throw that around, the same way as being white and having the privilege to jokingly say ‘nigger’ does not give you the right to use it, or jokingly calling a gay person a ‘faggot’. (As a lesbian, I would be offended.) I also regularly read project unbreakable (projectunbreakable.tumblr.com) and the things those people experience are nothing short of nightmarish and horrible. There are good reasons some of use refuse to lightly use the terminology or description of rape, because not everyone is the same. The pain is raw forever for some people.
Now, moving on to your post.
I don’t think you used the word rape on purpose, because most people aren’t aware, until they are made aware, that it can be a serious trigger to some people. Most people don’t begin aware of their privilege, and I don’t think it’s a horrible thing you used it, since you obviously learned afterward. Whatever, we’re human and mistake-bound, sometimes what we think is ok is obviously not okay to many people, and so long as we reconcile with why it’s not okay, I think it’s fine. For instance, if someone say faggot to me in any context, I would correct them by letting them know that word is indeed offensive and I would prefer they not use it. I give everyone the benefit of the doubt, because most mistakes are made on accidental ignorance.
As for the Exodus thing, I’m not the right person to speak on that because I’m pretty sure it never happened (lack of anthropological and archeological/religious evidence) and I myself am terribly inclined to argue theological facts with people when they have no scientific backing. I work on that every day, so my best advice is just to take it day by day, I suppose. Change is a long and arduous journey and the best policy is to help people along. I don’t think you should be absolutely pounced on for your speech. In the same way that trans people who are transitioning usually have to gently correct their friends on pronoun use, I think that would have been the best approach. At the same time, I don’t think you need to bend over backwards to please everyone with your ideas, because that is absolutely never going to happen. The fact I am lesbian and pagan and vegetarian offends a lot of people’s existences, and so what?
I think the key is striking a balance between offending everyone and staying silent for fear of offending everyone with unpopular opinions.
And keep at your practices, since they can only help you. Best of luck!
As far as I know, I’m not friends with many HoN people. I think I follow Rev. Suida and I have two members, that I know for sure, are practicing members. One of the comments was from the Evelyn woman you were speaking with about the Exodus, actually. That’s about the time that I deleted that post.
I think some people revel in their pain and embrace it and are unable to move past it, but a person has to move past it if any healing is ever to be done.
This, I understand. I know that I revel in my pain about my sexual assaults, sometimes. Not that I love it or anything, but that I’m so used to feeling it that not having it is frightening and scary. And it’s at the point where I either have to shit or get off the pot with it.
I agree with this whole comment. Jealous I didn’t come up with it myself :)
I’d like to correct you on something here. I will assume you’re not black, because I am and I know something you seem not to. The words nigger and nigga are two very very different words. Nigger only has one meaning, a derogatory label for African-Americans used by Caucasians to denigrate and dehumanize people of color. Nigga is derived from nigger, but that’s as far as the relationship between the words goes. Yes, nigga means “friend, comrade” in a certain context, but in other contexts it means ghetto; ignorant (in a disrespectful, purposely rude sense as opposed to merely lacking knowledge, information or experience); thug; asshole (and other variations); stupid or foolish, usually as an addition to one of the other above meanings. Many blacks who use the term “nigga” regularly apply it to anyone. Oftentimes others use it too, though white people are wise to use it cautiously and to absolutely NOT confuse it with nigger or use it as if the two words mean the same.
Most don’t see it as reclaiming the word nigger as our own. It is still a very offensive term and not to be used. The reason people feel nigga is offensive is because people conflate the terms and use it offensively or assume it’s being used that way. Quite frankly more white people than black are offended by “nigga”, but they aren’t the same. It’s a transformation of nigger in spelling and usage so that they are only barely related anymore. It’s not so much a reclaiming as it is a purposeful evolution. I personally use the word in its various contexts, but I will admit mixed feelings about it. Just as a note, you haven’t offended me in any way, but as a black person and a language lover and someone who would rather you not run into the wrong person who would get very angry with you at saying we’ve reclaimed “nigger”, I figured that I’d let you know that many black people (especially younger ones like myself) have a different version than you do. Though this isn’t to say there aren’t plenty who aren’t offended by both words, or who don’t get offended unless a non-black person brings it up.
I’m Choctaw Indian with a bot of Scottish thrown in for good measure. I’m also a child of the seventies who saw the “N” word used extensively in speech in a derogatory manner. My choice of words used was merely to illustrate a point that words change as does the meaning behind them. The Blacks of my generation still see the “N” word used as a derogatory term, whereas the ones of later generations have used it differently. Case in point would be Bill Cosby or Richard Pryor versus young Blacks such as Chris Rock or Eddie Griffith. To be sure I could have given a complete breakdown of the etymology of the words and it’s various uses and meaning through time, but such wasn’t the point of my reply. No offense meant though either way.
No worries, i wasn’t offended, i hope you weren’t offended. I’m aware of the word’s history and who uses it today and why. I got your point from the start though :)
Bleh my mistake, wasn’t HoN peeps after all, was someone else. ha ha
It’s okay, I couldn’t see any of the drama unfolding, either. Which is probably good, because my foot in mouth might have flared up.
I ended up deleting the FB post that I had made about it.
I can relate to this in some ways.
Many times, I say things, and people miss my intent entirely. I live with someone who has aspergers- and there are many many many times when our words get convoluted and misconstrued… and tempers flare and fights occur because of it. I, too, have family that can’t keep their noses out of other people’s business, and they ‘set me straight’ and end up hurting my feelings more than anything.
Compound this with my intense problem of trying to help people (Kemetics, mainly) and so I stick MY nose into their posts and try to give out information and help others… and end up getting yelled at and hated.
In short. People have a stick up their ass.
And at the end of the day, there is nothing you can do about it. I actually went through a phase of this yesterday, where my trying to help, and my words ended up with me being called a douchebag. Nobody gives anyone the benefit of the doubt. No one goes “hmm, I’ll bet that’s not entirely what they meant, I shoudl check before I assume that” (living with an aspie has taught me all about this). Instead, they assume that you mean the worst thing possible, and they jump your case.
And when this happens to me, I really wonder what the hell I’m doing. Why am I helping people if all I am really accomplishing is getting yelled at and pissing people off. Why do I bother?
And then the anger passes. I calm down. I have the opportunity to scream about it with my friends… and I realize that there is something bigger here. That people get the wrong idea, and if they aren’t willing to listen to me try and explain what I meant- well there is nothing anyone could do or say in that situation. I take my spoons, and I leave it at that.
There isn’t much else I can offer. I’m here if you need an ear or two. Otherwise, all I can suggest is you take a deep breath, and back out of any forum threads or conversations where the only result is you losing spoons. Because it’s not worth losing spoons over people who aren’t willing to see your side too (PS, not saying that everyone that has been hurt today isn’t willing to see your side, I’m making a generalized statement here).
Thanks, Devo.
While I was signing in, TH asked me to explain what was going on because i went to him earlier, crying about it. And by crying, I mean doing that ugly sob thing with the snots running down my nose. (He’s lucky I didn’t blow them on his shirt, honestly. I was pretty much without control for 20 minutes or so.) And I explained the situation as best I could to him and he said, “Hon, it doesn’t matter what you say or how you say it. Someone, somewhere is going to get offended by it, even if it’s the sweetest and nicest way possible.” And the Sister said, pretty much, the same thing earlier. And yeah, they’re right.
In the mean time, chocolate ice cream and reading have been aiding me through this little mini-crisis. I knew it was a larger issue when I found myself thinking, “Yep. I could definitely use a Fallow Time right about now. All of these epiphanies are busting my brain.” I’m not quite sure what it was that brought that about, but it’s interesting. And I think while working on myself and the living in ma’at and being careful what I say is all well and good, but as the Sister and TH said… someone, somewhere is going be hurt and/or offended by what I’ve said.
At this moment, I realized that I’m rambling here and not actually commenting on anything. So, there’s that.
Yeah, they are right. But it doesn’t make it any easier, in my books. You’d think that the Big Bad Set Chick would totally be used to being called all sorts of things. Hell, you’d think I’d like it with as much as I push people to question, to think. But it does bother me. Every time it happens, I die a little. It really does bother me. And it really really sucks :< But at the end of the day, like you, I have to pick myself back up and keep going, for the reasons I mentioned to Medewty.
I totally get what you’re saying here too Von. I have the same problem on FB and it’s the same crowd you have problems with. One in particular as of late has been talking about deleting their FB page because of people being catty. Every single time I have tried to talk to this person and offer suggestions I get my head torn off, then they complain that no one is interested in what they have to say. I was like, “If you don’t want advice/help then why you posting about these things?” The answer was that not every post was something they wanted advice on, they were just venting. O.o How am I supposed to know which posts they want to talk about and which ones they don’t? Yeah she didn’t like that too much.
I’m starting to wonder why I even bother anymore as I often get yelled at, unfriended, blocked and gossiped about when I try to help others and I say something they do not like. Rather than being given the opportunity to explain myself, people seem to assume I’m guilty of some heinous crime. It’s so not worth it anymore.
I wish I could give up, throw my hands in the air and say ‘screw it’. But then Big Red and O would be upset with me. Apparently, I need this. Apparently, my nose-in-business and fact spewing traits are needed wherever they are sending me. Too bad most people don’t seem to find the traits useful.
I tried doing that. I was told in no uncertain terms to “stuff it.”
Yup. That’s more or less where I am at. I can take short breaks. I can throw temper tantrums. I can get irate. But I am not allowed to give up. Which is lame, sometimes. But I understand why it is the way it is.
Besides, if I were to give up, I’d never be able to look Them in the eye again.
Sekhmet says that she prefers me ranting at her as opposed to my silence. She wants me to get angry and snap and throw a temper tantrum because then she “knows how angry” I am. When I go cold, she says, that’s when my anger is unknown and beyond her bounds. I don’t know how that works or makes sense, and yet… it does.
As someone waist-deep in social justice, and who’s been listening to the conversation going on in the blogosphere for some time about what words are and the power that they have, one of the things that sort of kicked me in the butt and put things into perspective is that when you’re in a place of privilege, “it’s not about you”. This is a really, really difficult concept for a lot of people to grasp, and it’s something that many more reject altogether– I saw a lot of growing pains about this on the ‘nets with that whole Kony 2012 thing, strangers and friends alike. But the simple fact is, if you’re doing harm to someone, you need to own it. ESPECIALLY if you’re trying to help them.
The sad reality is that intention ultimately means nothing; all there is is what you do and do not do, and what you do and do not say. Intentions don’t hurt people, and they don’t uphold systems of oppression– actions alone do.
And yes, while you do have every right to use the word “rape” however often you want and in whatever context and definition, if you do that you need to understand that you’re impressing upon others (essentially by omission) that their reality, especially if it runs contrary to yours, doesn’t matter. That violence was committed against you, and that you got over it and can now use this word that is typically used to shame and humiliate others without being affected by it… you’re taking that empowering experience for granted while others are still suffering, and that’s privilege.
Lol, my husband had to go through the same thing when I started showing him feminist literature, though. You’ll get over it soon enough and figure out how to strike that balance. Good luck.
I’m sad that you didn’t use my particularly well improvised line lol.
I’ve been thinking a lot about this situation since our phone conversation a little earlier today. Now this may be wrong, but after growing up in a house with a mother who was fucking crazy as shit, usually drunk by the end of the night, and who could, without any warning whatsoever, turn on you like a psycho and make you hate your entire existence, all because you said something that made her unhappy. Half the time you wouldn’t even know what the fuck it was that made her that unhappy where she would slap you, or scream at you, or whatever else she had in her addled mind to do to you. I got to the point where words, especially spoken words, were the enemy. I was afraid to open my mouth for fear of offence.
But one day I realized something…Sometimes even the act of opening your mouth can be offensive to some people and there ain’t nothin you can do about it.
Maybe I’ve taken a wrong approach using the word “rape” as much as I do, but I am taking that word back. It has more than one common known meaning, and I intend to use it in all ways possible. I understand that some people are triggered by that, and if hearing the word causes you to be reduced to a quivering mass of horridness, I deeply apologize, and I hope that you get the help that you need to move past that place. I was there, I know how bad it can be. If I Know that someone specific is going to get triggered by that, then yes, I will attempt to be more careful in speech, but after 29 years of being suppressed in everything I do, I’m not about to be reduced to a quivering mass of self doubt and self reproach because i may or may not say something that someone somewhere may or may not take offence too. I just won’t do it.
I heard a good line today. In the end…words are wind.
My mom never tried to suppress me until after I had turned 18. (LOL!) Prior to that, I had no bed time, I had no curfew, she didn’t tell me what I could or could not read. The only time she tried to force me to do anything involved cleaning my room or when she once asked me if I should be watching Law & Order: SVU after my first ordeal. That was about it, though. So, I guess I’m the opposite of you. I’m used to this part of it: the saying as I will, when I will and for whatever reasons I so desire. Have other people ever told me to shut up? Yep. You know that. But, I’m USED to saying the things that need to be said, kindly or otherwise. And it’s in this moment that I wonder if it wasn’t Foot in Mouth Disease I suffered from inasmuch as the need to tell people that this is the way it is, come what may.
This is also boiling in my head. I’m sure a post will be forthcoming in the next day or three.
Aubsie, don’t give up. I’m one of those super blunt, can be callous, people too. Days like this happen, the whole point is not making them happen on purpose and to keep reaching for the change you desire in yourself. If what I’ve read is to go by, the only perfect human was Jesus, and he was also God and had an advantage. I’m really bad so far at this changing speech business, and as someone else said, if the gods wanted perfection they’d have ditched us a while ago and someone will always find a reason to be offended.
I was told that giving up “was not an option.” So, as much as I’d like the break and to walk away, I’m not allowed. :)
Taking offense is a choice. If someone I know says something that I do not agree with, I may let them know, but I try never to take it personally.
That’s my mother. The only reason she mentioned being offended by something I had said was because it had come up in conversation. Otherwise, she would have let me go on, blindly, and unaware.
The truth is often more destructive than lies.
If my understanding of Ma’at is correct, she is the goddess/embodiment of Truth in the Kemetic Pantheon. (I’m basing this off a fun little mystery series about an ancient Egyptian judge/detective). You have committed yourself to living a life of Truth, yes?
But the truth is often hurtful. That’s why people lie so much. Life runs on the little lies. But you have stood up and said “I will live with truth.” A side effect of this is you’re going to be kicking up all the things people generally cover up with lies. So you’re going to say things that offend people, because they do not wish to live with the truth.
But that’s ok. :) See, we have so many problems these days because people refuse to tell the truth, and refuse to face the truth. The lies make them feel safe and happy, and anything that makes them feel unsafe or unhappy they try to silence or cover up with lies. But healing, like creation, must begin with acts of destruction. This is the first stage of dealing with Truth. So here in the first stages of your journey in Ma’at, there will be destruction and offense and all sort of things that are unpleasant. Take heart, friend! For it is all worth it in the end. :D
I’m on my phone, so I’ll respond to the meat of your comment when I’m on my computer. But first… is that series of books about a man named Amerotke?
yeah, i think it is!
Lucius, your grasp of ma’at is not entirely accurate or correct.
To quote Jeremy Naydler, “Variously translated as “right”, “truth”, or “justice”, maat (sic) is the order that characterizes the mythological realm, the realm of divine forces and agencies. If the First Time is the era during which the gods come forth from the original primeval waters of Nun, then intrinsic to the divine emanation is maat (sic);for the nature of the divine emanation is that it is ordered and ordering rather than chaotic.” – Temple of the Cosmos
I’d suggest that you learn more about the words you’re using before using them to back up a point of view.
Personally I think Lucius has a very good grasp of the concept of Ma’at. Just because some person published a book on a subject and you’re quoting from said book does not in any way invalidate the thoughts/words of others. There’s also no need to be insulting when Lucius did in fact say they got their definition from a book (as you did also). Both terms are acceptable in this context. Perhaps VW you might look up the meaning of the word tact and it’s application when dealing with others?
Everyone is entitled to hir own opinion. The thing is, ma’at is more than Truth. It’s an essential concept, as I ‘m sure you’re aware. I quoted Naydler because I think he happens to define the concept nicely and in a way non-Kemetics can understand.
Also, truth comes in when choosing words as well – calling something other than what it is constitutes a lie.
Actually it doesn’t. Words can have many meanings depending upon the context being used and the background of the individual. As noted in my initial post, words evolve or take on new meanings over time. Truth is subjective to the point of view of the observer. One might see a forest fire as destructive but in the overall scheme of things it isn’t as it has brought much replenishment to the surviving animal and plant life. Truth is fluid. It flows like water around obstacles or breaks through solid barriers (like rock). It may appear soft but at times it can be very hard. It’s only when we see things in Black or White and become rigid in our own interpretations or definitions of words (failing to understand the point of view of another) that words seem to be a lie. When this happens the failure is our own and not on the speaker.
After some thought I realized I should have just commended Lucius and left it at that.
Well, thank you for your commendation Medewtysenu, and your defense of my words warms my heart. :)
Considering that Medwtysenu pretty much threw up as good a defense as I could, I’m not going to rehash your argument, though I would point out that I’m sure I could find some Kemetics and books who would say I had a good grasp on Ma’at, even though I was coming at it from a more Heathen understanding of Truth, not just what I got from the book.
In reality the only thing I can say is, “Harsh, veggiewolf, harsh. and a bit uncalled for.”
Okay, this is my second attempt to comment on this thread since my keyboard went wonky and decided to eat my post.
Words have power that is both intrinsic and extrinsic. The extrinsic power comes from communication of said words, through writing or speaking. As we communicate (heka, with “he” being the sound of an exhale) we breathe life into our words and so shape their power. Since we know that such power exists, it becomes our responsibility to ensure that we strive to communicate effectively…with the understanding that sometimes we get it wrong.
We’re not perfect, and we shouldn’t expect to be. We should, however, take responsibility when what we do and say goes awry. There will be traps, and snares, and pitfalls along the way; this is inevitable. We must learn from these things; like the song says, we should pick ourselves up, dust ourselves off, and start all over again rather than deciding to throw in the towel.
In the Negative Confessions, there’s a statement that is very appropo for this situation:
– I have not shut my ears to the words of truth.
In this case, the truth is as follows: a word that has power of its own was shaped to communicate a point and that communication backfired because the intrinsic power of the word was greater than the power applied to it. The communicator did not intend the outcome, but the outcome arose nevertheless. The communicator now needs to recognize the injury done, attempt to repair it as best as one can, and resolve to do better.
This.
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