From School Talk #50 Chaos to Order
When I first read this part of the school talk, I did experiment with it. It was a challenge not only to remember but also to think of things in a different way. It wasn’t easy to come up with descriptive words. But as is the way of man, in a few days I forgot. So it is nice to pick up the experiment again and see what happens. Here begins the excerpt:
So it would be fairly simple if one took it upon one’s self to say, “I’m going to drop the whole four dual basic urges as my purpose.” I’m going to find something else to do. I’m going to start communicating with other people with descriptive words rather than judgment words–that is to say, other than saying that my taste is the epitome of correctness for the world—and if it doesn’t fit my taste, it’s a royal mess, ok?
So we could leave the judgment words off. You might be surprised how many people that you had a tendency to “lock horns with” seem to change when you use descriptive terms. In other words, when you use descriptive terms, there’s very little for people to contend about. Huh?
Now if I said you have on a beautiful dress, somebody may say “No way.” Huh? But if I said you have on a purple dress made out of crinkle cloth and it looks like you’re enjoying wearing it, not very many people argue about it. It kind of fits that.
Another person says your hair is long. That really doesn’t mean anything, but if I said “Your hair hangs three inches below the nape of your neck.” You can kind of get a glimpse of it, ok?
We could say that a painting is beautiful, but I can look at it and ask what does it mean? I say it’s a ballerina painted on gold leaves putting on a shoe and evidently her toe was hurting. Nobody will contend with you very much there.
They contend if I say this is a pretty desk–somebody says, “Yuk!” but if I said it was a chipboard desk with a fine little film of violet over the chipboard then there it is-that’s description.
Now if we could all talk in descriptions instead of judgments, they really would have very little to be upset or contend over, and it’s surprising how few people will go on the defensive around you.