WHISPERS OF INSPIRATION

"In West Africa cow milk is expensive" was excerpt of a text a friend was asked to read in class during our Junior Secondary School days. We giggled and laughed naughtily at how she rendered the text, perhaps because it sounded funny and seems to add an unwarranted flavour to the intended meaning of the text. We equally make meaning of words based on our system of socialisation and our peculiar experiences. Our society and environment subtly or actively play a role in helping us make these meanings. It is possible that no two people have the exact meaning for a symbol, gesture and words, which are heavily influenced by our experiences and exposures. Interestingly, Fisher & Adams (1994) were apt in their observation that there are intended meanings and psychological meanings as well as social meaning or negotiated meanings in our lives. Besides, we also know that there are literal meanings, contextual meaning, unintended meaning and emotional meanings. Others may incl...

"In West Africa cow milk is expensive" was excerpt of a text a friend was asked to read in class during our Junior Secondary School days. We giggled and laughed naughtily at how she rendered the text, perhaps because it sounded funny and seem to add an unwarranted flavour to the intended meaning of the text. We equally make meanings of words based on our system of socialisation. Our society and environment certainly play a role in helping us make meaning of life. It is a fact that no two people have the exact meaning for a symbol, gesture and words which is influenced by our experiences and exposures. Fisher & Adams (1994) were apt in their observation that there are intended meanings and psychological meanings as well as social meaning or negotiated meanings. Besides, there are also literal meanings, contextual meaning, unintended meaning and emotional meanings. Others may include religious meanings, political meanings, spiritual meanings, cultural meanings, histori...