Language and Experience

There are many great writers that have the ability to put the reader in a certain situation by the way the word their writing and give sensory detail. Still, this can only go so far. Actually experiencing something and being in the moment is unparalleled. Language cannot ever fully have the same effect that the experience can. If I were to read an article about a basketball game, I would find out all of the same hard facts and stats that those who attended the game did. But, at the same time, the article wouldn't have the same lasting affect on me. I would never know about all of the emotions in the twists and turns of the game and all of the adjustments that were made.

Of course there are some experiences that can be simply expressed through language and nothing is lost. If someone were to write an article about me reading a book at the library. There isn't much the person reading is missing out on. Both are boring. But for the most part if you want to know about something you have to experience it.

Experience brings into play so many factors that words cannot display. All five senses are playing a role when someone is in a moment having an experience. The smell is something that can be explained but not replicated. The same goes for the feel. No one besides those who have been to the Caribbean knows what it feels like to be there. You can get a sense of what it is like but you will never truly know until you go. Experience has a greater effect because of it's complexity. All of the surroundings are what makes one instance unlike any other. That's why there are so many funny stories that get told and the people listening don't find it funny and the person telling the story says "I guess you had to be there." The language by itself does not suffice.