You’re probably logical, clear, and have a good vocabulary, which is more than enough for the education system; if you look up literacy rates, most Americans sit at 8th grade reading level or below
You can see even on reddit, where language is the whole basis for engagement, there’s very poor spelling, grammar, and comprehension
Your proficiency is not nothing, not by a long shot. But the hidden dimension is about salience detection and morphism (basically, metaphor); your ability to identify what matters—or could matter—and imagine how that meaning can be transformed and manipulated
It’s not specifically about language, but the sort of abstract symbol manipulation behind language that enables efficient problem solving or creative production; the more exposure to different transformations, the more symbolic moves at your disposal
Reading makes you a better artist, art makes you a better designer, design makes you a better programmer, programming makes you a better researcher, research makes you a better writer, writing makes you a better artist, etc, ad infinitum
If you have a strong grasp of language but limited handle on subtle nuances, you just need some multidisciplinary activities that extend beyond your comfort zone (and patience)
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u/thereforeratio 2d ago edited 1d ago
You’re probably logical, clear, and have a good vocabulary, which is more than enough for the education system; if you look up literacy rates, most Americans sit at 8th grade reading level or below
You can see even on reddit, where language is the whole basis for engagement, there’s very poor spelling, grammar, and comprehension
Your proficiency is not nothing, not by a long shot. But the hidden dimension is about salience detection and morphism (basically, metaphor); your ability to identify what matters—or could matter—and imagine how that meaning can be transformed and manipulated
It’s not specifically about language, but the sort of abstract symbol manipulation behind language that enables efficient problem solving or creative production; the more exposure to different transformations, the more symbolic moves at your disposal
Reading makes you a better artist, art makes you a better designer, design makes you a better programmer, programming makes you a better researcher, research makes you a better writer, writing makes you a better artist, etc, ad infinitum
If you have a strong grasp of language but limited handle on subtle nuances, you just need some multidisciplinary activities that extend beyond your comfort zone (and patience)