“No two of anything in this world have been found ‘identical’, absolutely the same in all respects. Similarities are abstracted by neglecting the differences. Too often we discriminate against rather than between individuals. Differences must not be obscured by habits of identification. Language use must represent both similarities and differences.
General Semantics termed as a scientific study of language which generalizes the principles and methods of modern science to all areas of human activity. This theory of General Semantics originated with Alfred Korzybski, a Polish engineer in 1933 as the name for a general theory of evaluation, which in application turned out to be an empirical science, giving methods for general human adjustment in our private, public and professional lives. This hypothesis was first presented in Korzybski’s major cumulative work “Science and Sanity: An Introduction to Non-Aristotelian Systems and General semantics,” where he explained how language habits are inadequate in our common world today.
In the early 21st century, human relationship is at a stake. Because the structure of our forms of representation (language, etc.) is not found to be of pivotal importance in the human cultures in the present time. So, Korzybski by-passed the mythological dogmas and enquired, “what is the unique characteristics of humans which makes them human?” He observed anew that each human generation has the potential capacity, unlike animals, to start where former generation left off. He analyzed the neurological and socio-cultural processes by which man can create, preserve and transmit what they have learnt individually to future generations. Korzybski emphasized that language is an important part of our environment. Our language environment consists of books, newspaper, radio, television, novels, poems, films, plays and many other forms that create picture inside our heads. This is predominantly a verbal environment that creates ‘meanings’ inside our nervous system. He called the meanings inside of us our “neuro-semantic environment”. ‘Neuro’ refers to our nervous system and ‘semantic’ refers to meanings. As semantics starts with the assumption that meanings are inside of words, General semantics starts with the assumption that meanings are inside of people- which they are. Meanings are not in words rather these are in our heads, in our nervous systems, in our responses. Words do not mean, people mean.
