THE ACTIVE WORD: THE VERB

THE EXACTNESS OF THE TERM

As the basis of his Dialectic, Socrates demanded precision of terminology. In our Revolution of the Dialectic, we demand precision of the Verb as a basis.

The word, a distinguishing feature of humans, is the instrument of individual expression and communication among men. It is the vehicle of exterior language and the discharge (or exteriorization) of the complicated interior language, which can both be utilized by the Being or by the ego.

Plato, in the dialogue “Phaedo”, expressed to one of his disciples a concept which is famous for its profundity and moral delicacy, as a human principle of idiomatic propriety, it says as follows:

Be it known unto you, my dear Crito, that speaking in an improper manner is not only committing a fault in what is said but also damages the souls.

If we want to resolve problems, we should abstain from expressing opinions. Every opinion can be debated. We should resolve a problem by meditating on it. It is necessary to resolve it with the mind and the heart. We should learn to think for ourselves. It is absurd to repeat like parrots the opinions of others.

When the ego is annihilated, the optional processes of the mind disappear. An opinion is the emission of a concept out of fear that another concept might be the truth, and this indicates ignorance.

It is urgent to learn to not identify with problems. It is necessary to explore ourselves sincerely and then maintain mental and verbal silence.

-Excerpt from “The Revolution of the Dialectic”