What The Hell Are You Trying To Say?

You only have to peruse Facebook for a short while to realize that something has gone terribly wrong with the ability to communicate here in the U.S. 

Punctuation while writing...and Facebook involves lots of writing...is a glaring example of how poorly equipped the average person is when it comes to expressing an idea. When I see someone use 'your' when they want to say 'you are', it absolutely makes me cringe. On top of that, 'its' is the possessive when speaking about inanimate objects while 'it's' is the contraction of 'it is'.

Also, the contraction for 'you are' is 'you're'. 'Your' and 'you're' are pronounced the same but they certainly do not mean the same thing. I just wonder if it's laziness...two more keystrokes is too much work...or just ignorance. Either way, it's just plain pathetic.

Another cringe is the use of 'to' and 'too'. 'Too' basically means 'as well' or 'also', But, it is used to portray 'excess' or 'more than it should be' too. Now 'to', on the other hand, is a completely different word that indicates the infinitive of a verb. It's also a preposition that shows the relationship between two words in a sentence. 'I ran to meet her' and 'Are you two going to the movies tonight too?' are two examples. 

'Their', 'there' and 'they're' all sound the same...and when speaking, seldom cause a problem in communication. But, when writing, misuse of these three words is tragic.

I could go on and on about the mistakes I see in the use of grammar and punctuation on Facebook but I have to say the most egregious mistake I've seen lately was the use of the word "than" when the writer should have used the word "then". Come on people...We're trying to communicate here!

Why am I ranting about this? Well think about it. When you write, you're trying to get someone to understand an opinion, thought or idea you have. What you're actually doing is trying to create a picture of an idea or concept that you have in mind by using words as paint on the canvas of their mind. When you use the wrong colors (words), or incorrect hues (punctuation), the resulting picture doesn't accurately depict your vision. The result is misunderstanding and in some cases it can be on a grand and sometimes tragic scale.

In my years, I have come to realize that success in business and in life depends on your ability to communicate. Successful communication comes from the correct application of language. It's the only tool you have so you need to keep it sharp. Since it's obvious that the school system in this country is failing to teach basic writing skills, it seems that the only chance you have to improve your lot in life is through the use of one of the greatest educational tools in history...The Internet!

The invention of the personal computer and internet ranks right up there with electricity as one of the greatest boons to Mankind ever created. If you want to know something...are unsure about something...or just want to learn something new, the answer is seconds away. You can find all the information you want to know... and then some...with a quick search. You might find that it's a lot of fun too!

Learn how to use your language correctly. When you communicate properly, you'll find that life will be a lot more enjoyable and it will be a lot more rewarding too.