A Japanese woman says that when she
          swears in English, she feels nothing.

Let me begin with defining language and feeling.
Language consists of words, spoken and written,
their prounciaton, and the methods of combinding
them used and understood by a community.

Feeling is an affective emotional state of
consciousness in which joy, sorrow, fear, love,
or the like is expressed, as distinguished from
cognative and volitional states of consciousness.

Language produces, in a certain way, a feeling
that is somewhat automatic, even though a person
can choose his feelings. This is not to suggest
that a person having feelings initially that
were produced  by language may not subsequently
use language to respond to his feelings. Indeed,
he may. But feelings are not primary, language is.

The meaning a person learned is expressed
and implied in that language. Therefore, it is
easy to understand why a particular "Japanese
woman who feels nothing when she swears in
English." However, it is highly likely that she
already feels something deeply when she or
another Japanese is called  a "Jap." When
she learns English, beyond just being able to
swear in English, she may begin to feel
something when she swears in English.

Paul Valery called language "the god gone
astray in the flesh," To that we can add,
"an idol with supreme or near-supreme god
stature." Have they not heard the true God
declares, "You shall not have any other god
before me." And no idol. With language as
and idol, just a word, phrase or statement,
may cause a person to become enraged,
ecstatic, or a nation to start a war.

Language evolves and diversifies over time.
Just as change is inevitable, in general, in
particular, it is certain in language. Much
in the language spoken today will probably
be extinct or obsolete by the year 2100.
And new words will enter the lexicon.

It is not unusual for the usage of language to
be destructive. While it is necesary to know
the precise meaning of words, there are
benefits in changing the construct that
offers positive or healthy benefits. This is
not the same as the assertion of Alice in
Wonderland: "Words mean what I want them
to mean." It is a way of discovering meaning
that emerges when the context in which
language is presented is understood in a
chosen construct.

To begin this practice of changing a context
to a consruct, we will focus on a talk about the
weather in which a person announces that
"this is a bad day; four inches of snow fell last
night." Changing that context to a construct
may be: "the snow is beauiful and I am going
to have fun today playing in it."

Regardless to the language you are exposed
to, do not disown your feelings. Never deny
or apologize for your feelings because when
you do you deny or apologize for the truth
about yourself. This God forbids! Your
feelings are among your choicest companions,
no less than your language. It may be necessary
at times for you to do what I have had to do
when I was being coerced to deny my feelings.
My response with gusto, "Damn't, I feel!"

Copyright 2014 by Uriah J. Fields

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