Words, No Meaning

Last night I went to watch this year’s Oscar-winning movie “The Artist”, a black and white silent movie set in the 1920s. I realise that this might not be everyone’s idea of good entertainment (leave alone on a Saturday night) and I was not surprised to find myself in the cinema with only five other people, who looked equally unsure whether this was really a good idea. But like me, they were probably not at all expecting what was about to come:

The movie was entertaining, witty, charming, gripping, endearing and funny up to the point of hilarious! In one word – it was brilliant!

And like any good movie, you don’t just walk out of it and forget it, but it makes you think.

I had just been beautifully entertained for two hours without any words at all. Yet, the story was clear, I felt a connection to the main characters and the emotions were beautifully enacted. Words had been completely unnecessary in this movie – in fact, there were a few moments when it looked like the actors might speak and I found myself hoping that they would not…

Walking out of the cinema, I couldn’t help but wonder: How many words do we say that are actually completely unnecessary? How many sentences only spoken to fill the air? How many meaningless questions asked out of politeness?

I thought back to every phone call I have these days: “Hello, how are you?” – “Fine thanks and you?”

To the amount of time I spend being polite and “sociable” in work mails: “Dear All, I hope you had a lovely weekend… ”

How often I attend presentations where speaking time is directly related to status and inversely to content: “In the next 74 slides I will give you a brief overview of our work on ... “

To the many moments when I find myself in an awkward coffee break feeling like I have to make conversation: “Oh, so you are a water historian! How fascinating! Tell me…”

And to the numerous conversations encouraging people to say what they are dying to say: “Hun, I can tell something is bothering you. I’m sure you’d feel better if you talked to someone about it… “

How many empty words do we speak each day just to be polite? How much time does this insincere and meaningless exchange of flowery phrases waste - for both sides? How many of these empty words do not create positive, but negative utility?

Maybe we should listen to Dieter Nuhr – my favourite German comedian – in many more situations and

(“If you have no clue what’s going on, simply shut up”)

PS: Saying that, I am clearly not good at cutting a long story short – this whole post could have probably been done much shorter. But I guess at the end of the day I am a woman and we have to speak 17 000 words a day! Well, maybe not have to... but wouldn’t it be a shame to let them go to waste ;) ?