This is taken from William James “Stream of Thought” chapter. In it he argues that we have often ignored the “transitive” parts of the the stream of our thing and placed undue emphasis on the “substantive” parts. By doing so, he suggests, we have tended to confuse ” …the thoughts themselves … and the things of which they are aware.” In these circumstances he argues that … ‘tendencies’ are not only descriptions from without, but they are among the objects of the stream, which is thus aware of them from within, and must be described as in very large measure constituted as feelings …

We don’t just use words and language to name and describe things. More often than not our words are designed to do things: to direct; to evoke; to command; to unsettle and to pacify or calm – and much more!. As obvious as this may seem, and as central as it is to how we go about our everyday business, we generally have very limited awareness of this aspect of our own involvement in the various circumstances that go to make up the multitude of intersecting worlds we inhabit. Part of the reason for this low level of awareness is, …