Emotional Meanings

The essay ​"Emotional Meanings"​ has been taken from ​"Straight and Crooked
Thinking" ​by ​Robert H. Thouless.
In this essay the writer's tone is highly informative and suggestive. He has discussed his
views on the use of language. According to him, "​language" ​can be used ​"in more than
one way".​ We may use language to state facts, or to arouse the emotional attitude of the
audience. In other words, we use language either to approve something or to disapprove
something over a dispute or discussion and by doing so the meanings of the words
change automatically. The writer has given many examples for distinguishing between
"factual and emotional meanings." ​ He discusses how the meanings of the same words
change in different situations.
For example, when we talk about our troops we use the word ​"heroism" ​but for our
enemy we use ​"foolhardiness". ​Hence by doing so we ​"misrepresent reality by using
words to make an emotional distinction between two actions which are factually
identical."
In ​poetry ​the use of ​emotional words ​are important because they fulfil the purpose of
poetry. When only ​"factual words"​ are used in poetry they will destroy the ​"emotional
meanings"​ of the words.
Cold, unemotional thinking is needed when we have a disputed question of fact or when
we have some controversies.
The writer has cited the examples from different fields like politics, science, war,
psychology, history, books, novels, and critics.
In ​psychology​, all terms e.g., ​'passion', 'emotion', 'sex'​ carry strong emotional meanings
and it is impossible to discuss psychology without using words which arouse emotions. A
psychologist​ said that when he says ​"intelligent child"​ he is describing him and not
praising him. He is using this term in a factual and emotionally neutral way.
In ​politics, ​the words like ​'liberty', 'freedom', 'national honour' ​etc carry more of
emotional meaning than any other meaning. The same speech delivered by one of our
own party is ​eloquent​ but by the opposite party is ​bombastic. ​It also shows that ​"​two
words of same objective meaning but with opposite emotional meanings of ​approval ​and
strong ​disapproval."
The ​political speakers ​whose speeches leave the same impact as of romantic poetry they
do not think objectively. They are habitual to think in emotionally toned words.
Robert​ states that;
"They should have been poets or professional orators, but certainly not statesmen".
Similarly, the ​religious controversialists ​also use emotionally toned words. The words
and phrases have same factual meanings but opposite emotional meanings. As an
instance, a religious man may be called ​bigot ​by those who ​disapprove ​of​ ​him or ​a man
of faith ​by those who ​approve​ of him.
However the emotional words may cause a problem and make a sensible decision
difficult. But when we examine some ​passages ​we draw conclusions which depend on
the emotions aroused by words and not on the factual meaning.
In a nutshell,​ words and phrases with emotional meanings have their place in human
intercourse, poetry, and in emotional oratory. In our everyday conversation and writing
we use words with emotional meanings to convey our opinions of good and bad about
different things.