Marina Warner penned that quote.
I was planning a blog based on her view. As I shaped my thoughts into written sentences I realized that I'd been overusing TWO words. My text had become repetitive, so I looked for synonyms. I had no idea — there were THAT many.
Do you know which pair of words I'm talking about?
If you think about it, it should come as NO surprise. There are multiple subtle meanings — variants, flavours, levels, interpretations and explanations — for those two words.
Do you still need a hint?
They are complete opposites.
Before you read the answer... take a guess.
— evil, immoral, wicked, corrupt, sinful, depraved, rotten, contaminated, harmful, sinful, tainted, injurious, spoiled, unfavourable, defected, inferior, infected, substandard, improper, inappropriate, faulty, unsuitable, disagreeable, unpleasant, nasty, unfriendly, irascible, horrible, outrageous, atrocious, infamous, wrong, cross, noxious, gross, nefarious, obnoxious, snide, putrid, sinister, dismal, heinous, detestable, ghastly, rank, scandalous, despicable, contemptible, execrable.
— excellent, fine, superior, wonderful, marvellous, qualified, suited, suitable, apt, proper, capable, generous, kindly, friendly, pleasant, satisfactory, well-behaved, obedient, honourable, reliable, top-notch, worthy, grand, salubrious, noble, great, beneficial, splendid, first-rate, genuine, ample, estimable, valid, helpful, expedient, righteous, advantageous, sterling, superb, respectable, edifying, trustworthy, gracious, obliging, agreeable, safe, profitable, beneficial.
And every one of those synonyms... has multiple other synonyms. It's an infinite matrix.
Experts who have studied language say a person's lexicon, as measured by their vocabulary, is a better predictor of their general intelligence than any other cognitive measure.
Is vocabulary a good indicator of people's intelligence?
How is your word power? 🤔
... i'll blog about Marina Warner's quote another time...
... there are INFINITE positions... if we're motivated...
... scientists claim space is INFINITE...
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18 comments
Wooow it's amazing 😍😍😍😍🤩🤩
I'm glad you agree. 👍
My vocabulary most often has a vast amount of cuss or curse words intertwined Hun..lol.Experts also say that people who swear a lot are highly intelligent..lol..xoxo
And I agree with those f && king "experts." 😂👍
I love words. I do think a good vocabulary equates to intelligence.
I love words as well. We have something in common. 🤗😂
I firmly believe that an expansive vocabulary is indeed a strong indicator of intelligence. It often reflects a person's ability to understand and convey complex ideas, which is something I admire.
Personally, I am drawn to individuals who possess a rich lexicon and enjoy in engaging with those whose vocabulary is equal to or surpasses my own.
There's something stimulating about conversations where words flow effortlessly and ideas are expressed with precision and elegance. It's a true pleasure to share thoughts with like-minded individuals who value the power of language as much as I do.
As my personal motto goes: "Stimulate My Mind And Let's See What Happens."
Hmmm... I could probably remove some of the "F-Bombs" from my repertoire, and I'd probably be a better communicator. Then again, ruthless slang, okazionally works... I think. 😂
I like it when words fill my conversations without much effort. 🤗
@Paulxx001 And perhaps without the 'porn' images or have they become the defacto necessity?
@sexyldy1000
Good Q.
I swear ... I've answered you before.🤗
Those pics strive to make up for my poorly written posts.
Hot pic!
Thanks for pausing to enjoy.👍
@Paulxx001 Was more than a pause.
I think that a broad vocabulary is a good sign of intelligence. However, it doesn't indicate anything about a person's common sense.
I've been working on genealogy and am finally using the French I learned in school - 55 years ago. But if I were to try and speak it, I would sound like an imbecile.
I'd understand. It's the effort, not the accent.
You'd be fine. 🤗
And those cents?
They're eliminating those. Don't worry about it. 💕
Just this morning, I was pondering what are my favorite words. I have two, polysyllabic and firkin. The first because if describes itself and the second is a unit of measure--1/4th of a barrel, as in, "I got really drink when I drank a firkin load of beer!"
I can't do more than applaud.
Well crafted 👍😂
Everything has its opposite so that the balance remains zero. The Universe is very economical, nothing disappears; it only transforms. Information never vanishes; it cannot. What enters a black hole emerges elsewhere as a white hole (though "white source" would be a better name, but for now, that’s what they call it).
And yes, I do believe that language and intelligence are connected. Knowing many words allows one to speak with nuance, to describe subtleties, proof of intelligence. But it's not enough to know many words; one must understand their meaning, their concept. A wide vocabulary is learned through reading... good books, I mean, and I fear that people, in general, are reading less and less, exercising their brains less and less. And that is not good, neither for individuals nor for society.
According to some, "they" want us to be stupid, and they’re succeeding...though it’s unclear exactly who "they" are.
When I speak in French, which is my second language, I seem less intelligent than when I speak in Spanish, my native tongue, because I can’t express concepts with all the nuance I would like: my vocabulary limits me. And let’s not even talk about English... when I speak it, I’m a complete disaster. (Speaking is one thing; writing, where you can review and correct, is another.)
My totem word is "Life"... and so you already know its antagonist.
I don't believe the universe itself is strictly infinite, as space is not "continuous" but discrete, yet there is an effectively infinite number of quasi-infinite universes.
Anyway, I’ll stop here: you provoked me with your post!
Thanks for making me think an ramble a little.
When I speak French, I, too, experience a slightly inferior — less complete — level of communication.
I'll take what the "experts" say about the universe to be true. I can't prove otherwise.
I'm glad I could provoke a "ramble." Ramble on.🤗
Pain always depended on the people; my wife’s conclusion was that numerous men were always pleasure.
True... it does.
And each person has their definition of pleasure or pain.
Thanks for sharing yours. 👍
Decent vocabulary. As in number of words, quality of words, known meaning of words? I can say a lot, how good it is I am not so sure. I am proficient in profanity. Sad to say.🙄. I never got that pleasure pain connection.
Good Q's... all of them. 👍
Dirty words count for two points. 🤗
Marina Warner's quote was based on her premise that we ALL perceive pleasure based on how much emotional pain we've experienced in the past. For some, a simple hug and a kiss... is enough to create a wave of exquisite delight.
Is a decent "vocabulary" a litmus test for Intelligence?
Sure... if that's what the experts say. 😂
I spend less time in dictionaries, but my spelling is okazionally dubious.
Thankfully, AI bots spell-check for me. 🤗
Visualizing "space" as infinite...
... is something I'm in awe of. 😲
Occasionally?? 😂😂
Although my impression is that your misspellings are on purpose to appear quirky; rather than being mistakes.
@smartasswoman
ThatZ true.
And who doesn't like a "quirk?" 🤗