Recently, my younger brother joined friends to evangelize in a busy part of town. He came home with an interesting story about a man they encountered. At the beginning of the conversation, the man was asked, “Do you believe that humans have inherent value?” He responded, “Well, I wouldn’t know, because I don’t think I am human. I could be a stick. I could be a snake. I don’t know, I could be anything.”
I was shocked at such a deluded answer as this question usually prompts discussions on life, value and abortion. This encounter quintessentially shows that our society devalues definitions and truth. The result of this is exemplified in individuals, like this man, who simply cannot discern whether he is a human or a stick.
But why should definitions matter?
Definitions matter because they help us understand the world around us. It is important for these definitions to be rooted in the truth, otherwise we could not properly operate in any capacity. This ought to matter to us because truth matters. Let me identify more in depth on how definitions affect our education and our society.
In classical education, the first step in learning is memorizing definitions. We begin learning by memorizing basic grammar (e.g., multiplication tables, timeline, states, capitals, math laws, and more). We store these facts so that when the time comes to delve deeper into a subject, we are able to draw from the vocabulary and facts already known. This is called the grammar stage of learning, the first stage of the Trivium. Grammar applies to all areas of study. One cannot become a pianist without knowing the anatomy of the piano and the reading of notes. A dentist cannot be called such without knowing the differences between bicuspid and bilateral.
Join me in a little foolishness and conceptualize this concept. Imagine dentistry faculty all across the world informing their students, “We desire you to become successful dentists, but most of all, we value your individuality and expression. Therefore, we declare all vocabulary and text merely relative. If you feel like the definition of “tooth” does not serve you well, you may disregard and redefine it. If you feel like the dental drill is not the proper tool for the operation, use a chainsaw. Whatever you wish.”
If this were the case, dentistry would be a terror! Thankfully, it’s not this way. The concept serves to illustrate what is occurring all around us. Truth has become meaningless, because people are encouraged and taught that definitions are relative to feelings. With little searching, we see truth and definitions have changed with words like man, woman and human. “If you feel like a snake, you are a snake.” Unfortunately, we then watch as the ‘snake’ is praised for its new definition. The value and definition of words, like human, are being destroyed.
We must take a hard stance on the truth, so that the education of our children is not parallel to society’s mindset. Dates and facts are important in themselves, but we must fight to reinforce the importance of definitions. They matter greatly in all areas of life (e.g. how we are raised, in our education, and how we treat our neighbors). Definitions must be based in truth.
The words we speak hold significant meaning. When we feel like changing the meaning of words, we become exceptionally lost, like the man my brother met on the street corner. Therefore, let us not conform to this pattern, which is leaving our nation bereft of accuracy, intelligence and truth.
After all, everyone ought to know that a stick is a stick, and a snake is indeed a snake.
