The Limits of Language

While I'm not really a huge fan of the way The Problem of Describing Trees is written, I do agree with the idea that language has its limits. Robert Hass talks about how words can only go so far when one attempts to describe an experience to someone else. I am very familiar with this concept that language can only do so much. As an actor it's my job to know how to describe abstract concepts like emotions to an audience of people who all may not have the same interpretation of a certain concept. And I can tell you straight up that words don't even cover half of it, movement and facial expression often work better to communicate an idea better than language. Combining the two of course works better than either one alone, but if I had to pick just one it certainly wouldn't be words, I would choose movement. There are many ways to describe how to, for example, peel an orange through language, but the action remains basically the same, so showing someone how to peel an orange visually is more effective than trying to explain it verbally. Sometimes there simply are no words to describe something, you just have to SEE it for yourself, which is probably why people would much rather see a play/movie than read a book, and why people learn faster by watching others or by experiencing thing themselves.