The problem with the written word is that it’s flat. The way words look on the page is the same regardless of what the content is. From ten feet away a page of gibberish looks the same as the essay of a genius. People tend to feel confident saying whether they like a visual design a second after seeing it, but writing requires reading in order to evaluate it.
In a sense, the written word is an even playing field. Everyone has access to the same characters and must play by approximately the same rules of grammar. A problem with the medium though, is that the good stuff takes as long to read as the bad stuff. Similarly, incoherent speeches take as long to listen to as a clear one.
When spoken, language makes noise, but language isn’t like other sounds. It can’t be layered to make music. One word at a time can be processed. We then string words together to create complex meaning. What this means though, is that when we describe the world linguistically, we are describing it linearly, one word at a time. That’s not necessarily bad but, if a person searches for truth, it’s good to remember that to describe the world with language is to map a linear system onto one which doesn’t necessarily follow linear paths.
The one-at-a-time process by which language must be understood makes for a powerful communication tool. When a person speaks, their words, and no one else’s, run through your mind, one at a time. It’s momentary thought control. Writing exerts that same power.
Searching for truth in language is hard because, in addition to the language’s linear form which ushers people into linear points of view, the people producing language have variable degrees of cognizance as to how the form’s design shapes their worldview. Just as athletes don’t need to study anatomy to excel, writers and speakers don’t need to understand language in order to use it.
It’s wild to think about. Many people interact with linguistic information most of their waking hours, without understanding how the communication form constructs itself. Not that I understand language, but considering its ubiquity, it seems prudent to be wary of how the communication form’s design shapes worldviews.

email: owenfernau at gmail.com