OUR ADDICTION TO ATTRIBUTIVE ADJECTIVES
Stewart W. Holmes · ETC.: A Review of General Semantics · 1998
We humans differ radically from other animals because we use sophisticated symbolic languages in thinking and speaking. We use our languages represent persons and things and facilitate the creation of thoughts. We misuse our language when we misrepresent persons and things and create life-degrading thoughts. In the following pages, I'll examine one way in which believe we misuse language. Two sentences in Science and Sanity (page 384) outline this misuse: we use a language of adjectives and subject-predicate forms pertaining sense impressions, we are using a language which deals with entities inside our skin [italics Korzybski's] and characteristics entirely non-existent in the outside world. Thus the events outside our skin are neither cold nor warm, green nor red, sweet nor bitter, but these characteristics are manufactured by our nervous system inside our skins, as responses only different manifestations, physico-chemical processes. Many papers exist dealing with subject-predicate forms, notably the use of predicate adjectives following copulative verbs, e.g., water is warm. have seen none dealing with the use of adjectives as described in Korzybski's statement, especially the adjective, e.g., I prefer warm If the term attributive is new you, let me quote from the definition given in the Random House unabridged dictionary: Pertaining an adjective ... that is directly adjacent to, in English, the noun it modifies. The same reference work also gives this definition of attribute: to consider as a quality of or characteristic of the person, thing, group, etc. of the thing indicated. Briefly, an adjective stands next the word it modifies, and by its position it implies attribution of its quality or characteristic that word. Here's an illustrative experiment from life that may make this clearer. Fill three pitchers with water. In #1, the water has a temperature reading of 35 degrees. In #2, 65 degrees. In #3, 95 degrees. A person puts his hand into pitcher #1 for a few minutes. Then he puts the same hand in #2. He'll say, That's warm Another person puts her hand in pitcher #3 for a few minutes. Then she puts it in #2. She'll likely say, That's cool They use adjectives attribute different temperatures the same water. Obviously false. The two people are describing what they have manufactured in their own nervous systems. (1) The habit of using adjectives make false-to-fact attributions of what we feel and think, energy manifestations, physico-chemical processes, has become an addiction for most of us. Indeed, we are even less aware of making this attribution than we are when we use the is of identity. Concentrating on the is of identity language form addresses only part of the fundamental identity problem. Even total elimination of this is from our vocabulary will leave us basically in the same semantic trap. Korzybski described his awareness of the addictive power of the language structure of false attribution by saying he had keep a model of his Structural Differential before him on his desk. …