Working Up

by Dwayne Phillips

The words we use most often provide some indication of our selves. Try some experiments. Learn. Adjust.

Try this: right now, write ten words on whatever is in front of you. Napkin. Table cloth. Back of your hand. How many of those ten are nouns? How many are verbs?

This one is a little more difficult: listen to yourself talk for the next few minutes. Do you say more nouns or more verbs?

Verbs are action words: use, provide, try, learn, adjust, write, talk, say (from above).

Nouns are person, place, thing: words, we, indication, selves, experiments, words, whatever, you, napkin, cloth, hand, nouns, verbs, one, yourself, talk, minutes (from above).

Hmmm, I used more nouns than verbs so far in this post. Am I focusing on things more than on actions? What might that mean?

Actions are do this, do that, do the next thing. If I use more verbs, I am focusing on doing and doing and doing. Is that what I want?

Things are things. If I use more nouns, I am focusing on things and things and things. Is that what I want?

Maybe things or actions means something significant. Maybe they don’t.

Experiment. Learn. Adjust. Try it.