Lanuage as negotiation

One of the best classes I ever took was Social Psychology class at The University of Georgia. What I remember the most from this class was the idea of reality as a negotiation and the role lanuage played in this.

Every day we negotiate - I don't mean like bargin, or compromise. Negotiate more along the lines of navigate. People use lanuage to navigate life. A girl might be pissed at her dad for not remembering to pick her up. Rather than listen to a lame excuse she might say "WHATEVER." Well the meaning of what she said was negotiated. Her dad offered up something and she give her 'negotiated' meaning. Say the same pair pull up to toco bell. The dad is a gester of good well asks the girl what she would like and she responds "just whatever." Situation negoiated.

The same word two different meanings. That is how lanuage is negotiation in one case 'whatever' = you suck, don't talk to me and another 'whatever' = toco, gordita, mexican pizza, anything.

This idea is intresting, a little bit microscopic and nit picky, but I remembered the lesson so that must be worth somthing.

I think entire Lanuages negotiate meaning in much the same way people do. Take Spanish and English as an example: The word Burger. Burger is german from Hamburg (Where the hamburger was invited). Someone from Hamburg is called a Hamburger shorten the word and you have burger.

Well all the the meaning for Burger in English. In Spanish Burger also means hamburger but it can also mean Burger King. So they might say. Do you want to go to Burger for lunch? In this case the lanuages actually negotiated the meaning of the word. First from German to English then Spanish.

Why is all of this important and why would I spend my time writing about about this borning Sociological crap. Well here is your anwser. There is power in 'negotiating' a thing or idea. The United States generally are better and chaning the meaning of something than actually inventing the thing. By changing the meaning the "thing" becomes American - in spirit if not in orgin.

Take Democracy. Who is more 'democratic' U.S. or Greece? How about U.S. or Rome? In a cognative way, if you anwsered U.S. you are giving ownership of 'democracy' to the U.S. Nevermind weather one place has a direct democracy or an indrict, Forget hundreds of years vs. a few thousand.

There are a thousand of other examples.

I think the kind of 'precption is reality' state of the world affects the U.S. more so than any other country.