Action and Meaning

I find myself thinking about all the messages swirling around us every second of the day. I’m not thinking specifically about advertising, that’s certainly something we could talk about but I’m really thinking about the ones we receive and give to each other. The plans and promises we make, the things we believe about each other and the world in the light of day and in the quiet times of night.

I don’t believe we can be everything to everyone, so there has to be some compromise in what we expect from one another. Now, the safe choice is to take most messages you receive with a grain of salt and learn to ignore that which does not truly matter. Which makes me think that the Message is more important than the Delivery.

It’s a question of Action and Meaning. Do we place more emphasis on what we hear or what we see. If you boss tells you that you’re a valuable part of the company, but routinely treats you like you’re expendable, what should you believe? If your spouse tells you that you mean the world to them, and you can see that there are many other things that receive their care and attention, what should you believe?

If you tell someone that you don’t have time to come through on a deadline, but you find yourself whiling away 1, 2, 3 hours on the internet, or in front of the TV, every day… what should they believe?

Should we be held most accountable for the actions we produce or the words that proceed them?

I don’t have the answer to that question. What do you think?

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