There is an elegant way of saying something and an inelegant way of saying the same thing. An inelegant choice of words is automatically the easier recourse, as the intellect need not be unnecessarily taxed to arrange a flow of words that sound tasteful.
That is not to say that inelegant speech is always either unpleasant or unmindful. It can merely be reflective of a person’s conditioning, or then can indicate a lack of will towards rising above the use of an indifferent tongue. Conversely, unpolished speech does have its advantages. There are times when a thing crudely said drives home the point far more effectively than all the perfumes of Arabia put together can.
With conscious nurturing, elegance of expression can become as natural as breathing. Words spoken simply and gracefully hold the same weight as words spoken with great refinement. Again, too posh a manner of speaking does have its drawbacks. While it may peg the speaker as being to the manor born, very refined speech has the unwitting capacity to repel people who are unable to comprehend what is being said. Furthermore, the speaker also runs the risk of being labelled a snob.
In all this quibbling over what should be and/or what should not be, the one fact that remains a constant is that it pays to enhance one’s word-power. Indeed, a look into the dictionary is a humbling experience. It rightens pronunciation, adds to one’s vocabulary, and a clear understanding of a word or a term can heighten sensibilities. In an instant, a habitual drunkard who gets ‘the shakes’ whilst being tormented by imagined demons, is transformed into an unfortunate being who suffers from delirium tremens, i.e., psychosis of chronic alcoholism involving tremors and hallucinations. As we near the end of this year and approaching New Year and Christmas parties fill us with excitement, keep in mind that all at once a person thus afflicted needs help, not the inelegance of ridicule.
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