what if there was a word allowance each person was limited to expend each day. let's say, for instance, 150 words a day was the maximum allotment. would we reconsider what's worth saying and what's better kept to ourselves? would we be more careful and mindful of our choice of words? would we change the way we communicate with others, and reconsider with whom we choose to share our words with?
generally speaking, human beings complain more than necessary on things that are trivial, things that are irrelevant, and things that are unnecessarily shared. "oh my god, it's so fucking hot today." that's eight words, nine, if you don't count contractions. "i'm so hungry, i'm going to die." another seven words spent on exaggerated speech, meant to evoke the response of something literal.. even mannerisms such as, "hey, long time no see, how are you?" might be withheld if it'd take away from the overall word count.
why squander what you don't have an abundance of?
imagine, "how are you?" signifying sincere concern, not just casual small talk that society has made into formalities. personally, i believe the responses of others would also be appraised at a higher value; sharing their ration of words with me would become an honor and a privilege. it'd be gratifying knowing that people let me into their lives through shared thoughts, not out of obligation or provocation, but by intentional choice.
"use your words wisely..."
they say. i've learned, time and time again, the importance of that saying. it's better to say less than to say more, because the less you have to give, the more meaningful it is when you choose to make an offering. 150 may not be many words, but it doesn't take many words to get a point across.
personal statement:
christine dzou, ready.
