There is the world that we live in and there are words that we use.
The relationship between the two is worth exploring. Are words merely a medium or is there more to them?
“Waste” is an interesting word to consider. This word doesn’t exist in the vocabulary of illiterate people and many tribal communities. Perhaps, it is important to ask why? It’ll also be interesting to explore when and how this word was invented? Does it reveal anything about the anthropocentricity of modern man and the nature-centered living of tribal communities?
Similarly, it is important to ask what words do to us? How do they influence our perception? How do words then eventually affect one’s lifestyle?
It is also important to ask whether there is a difference between the words that non-literates use and the words that literates use? How were these words formed? Why are some words very specific to certain communities while they are totally absent in others?
Coming back to the word “waste”, is the waste a natural or manmade phenomenon? Is there something called “waste” in nature? Does nature waste? If in nature there is no waste and no such word exists in non-literates, there must be some connection between nature and the non-literates. Isn’t it? On the contrary, if we have the word “waste”, it reveals our anthropocentric approach to life where first we waste and then recycle. Sustainability, is then an after-thought of people belonging to a world that “wastes”. Recycling is not an afterthought among the non-literates. It is embedded in their life, their very beingness. Just like how nature is forever renewing, refining and reliving by re-creating and recycling through spontaneous organization.
First, we have a word or concept called “waste” and then we have a waste basket to keep waste too. Just the existence of a waste basket in our homes or schools teaches our children to waste. Words have a lot more power and influence than we generally consider.
There are some words that are existential. It relates to totality of life. Not yours and mine. Sustainability is one such word. Even freedom is a word that is existential, as only in freedom life thrives. We pretend as if we can give freedom to others as if their freedom belongs to us. We can only come in the way of freedom. All children are born in freedom and we lose it when we even talk about it.
“Teach” is another word that seems to be totally absent from non-literate communities. Does nature teach by teaching or is learning the very nature of living beings. In fact, even the word ‘learning’ doesn’t exist in the vocabulary of the non-literate people. This doesn’t mean that there is no teaching per se. It just means that learning and teaching is happening choicelessly in existence.
So, amongst the non-literates there is neither teaching nor wasting. They neither have schools to teach nor waste baskets to throw their waste.
Is it possible to regain our nature centered living? Is it possible to design spaces and processes that shift us from our anthropocentric beingness to nature centric-beingness?
In examining the consequences of written language, writer Paul Kingsnorth comes to terms with his own profession, arguing that the written word is, in fact, a tool of ecocide.
https://emergencemagazine.org/essay/the-language-of-the-master/
