A Beautiful Failure

Mankind has always sought to capture an idea in time. From petroglyphs on to hieroglyphs and into the modern age of writing man has tried to store and convey experience through the written word. However, even thousands of years of evolution in human discourse have come up short. There is still no way to transcribe the true essence of thought. I think that one of the reasons for this is that as a species we lack the capabilities to truly comprehend any experience entirely. When I attempt to describe a city I am limited by how I perceive the world. My concept of Madison and someone else's can be entirely different. This does not mean that either are less truthful. Both of us are simply limited by our schema of understanding.

Another way in which the written word fails to encapsulate human experience is its inability to truly capture an emotional appeal. Do not misunderstand me, I have been moved by the words of many authors. But, the true heart wrenching agony of a personal loss or the love felt for one's family can never be conveyed with simple language. As a species we have always understood that text has its limits. This is one of the reasons why emoticons, as lackluster as they are, became so popular. It is simply another attempt to embed text with meaning.

I wish that I could visit Earth several hundred years from now to see evolution of human discourse. Just as I am sure man will still be trying to supplement their ability to capture an idea, I am equally sure we shall still fall agonizingly short.