If we didn’t have a name for it, A Word, does it exist?

Being able to name something, brings it’s own existence into awareness. Did you perceive that speck of dirt on the wall before someone else points it out? Did the color blue actually exist before the word ‘blue’ was invented? Or was blue simply clumped into the color of ‘grey’?

There are biblical stories relating to this when Adam Names the animals in Genesis, he gives them a name which is a way of branding their identity and establishing their existence. There’s a lot of theology behind the significance of this line, but I’d like to point out that it’s an important way to describe the world around us. To name something is to shine a light and give something a more concrete form or thoughtform, an image for us to use.

In simple speak, a Word is a name or label with a definition for what it is and what it is not.

Because a Word can tell us what something is and by virtue of duality, what it is not- then a word can also teach us discernment. To discern if something is the word or is not the word.

If we didn’t know the words for ‘shin’ and ‘foot’ then how would we know what part of the leg we are referring to? Human Anatomy is very important especially if you’re working on the human body as a surgeon or health physician. These Words and Distinctions need to be made for the proper health assessments.

So A word gives us something, like a foothold or a tool, to help box meaning into a concept for us to have ‘dominion’ or ‘authority’ over.

In similar schools of thought, the exorcists of many Abrahamic religions practice the use of True Names to hold dominion over demons. Whether or not you think of it as real or true, the fact stands that it’s a useful metaphor in describing the name and containing the essence of something. To hold power over the demons is to usher their true name and to refer to them in the right manner.

When people have a disorder or sickness, they seek medical attention from a doctor to get a diagnosis. When the people have a proper diagnosis, then they feel a sense of relief knowing what they have. It is no longer an unknown beast but rather a very particular illness with symptoms and hopefully a remedy.

Thus, when we name our diseases, illnesses, demons, or anything really, we get a greater degree of control to know what it is and what it isn’t.

As a side note, to misname someone or something can have dire consequences. A Doctor that malpractices and misdiagnose people may offer more contraindicative medical advice that could further harm the patient.

Thus it’s important to know the name of something. To hold power over it to some degree. To then be able to have a path forward or solution or understanding.

To Name something is to give discernment.

In another instance,

A Druid or herbalist or arborist can names many individual plants and trees. Someone who doesn’t know what they’re looking at will think that the forrest has a bunch of grass, brushes, and trees. A Trained eye that knows the names and practices the discernment can tell the difference between poisonous Hemlock and Queen’s Anne’s lace. This useful distinction can cause the difference between life or death.

A very skilled and experienced Chemist working in the pharmaceutical labs can discern the difference between a specific drug and it’s analog derivatives that could make or break a product used for medical purposes. It’s up to the researchers to know what they’re working with to create a viable product to help the world.

There are many professions in which their in-depth knowledge can help their discernment between what is and isn’t acceptable or safe or desired. This skill and talent allows us to grow. Without this, we wouldn’t have farming, we wouldn’t have modern medicine, we wouldn’t have a lot of today’s fruits from the labor of knowledge of discernment.

Even a Car Repair technician has to know what is wrong and what is right in a car to properly troubleshoot and assess. Part of naming things is to also know what the thing does and is known to do. This helps for quality inspections to know the difference between a good part and a bad part.

Discernment between different items, as well as discernment of the quality of an item is contained within the name. The name housing the understanding of the thing itself.

As we use words to accurately ‘box’ and conceptualize the world around us, it starts to become more highly detailed. The World becomes more highly detailed, and we start noticing the little pieces of discernment, seeing more of the finer details, and noticing the difference that makes the difference.

Epilogue;

A True name is also called an Orthonym, Ortho meaning ‘true’ and nym meaning ‘name.

You probably lived a life worth knowing something, whether video games or food or a profession. In it you learned some discernment for what is and isn’t related to your field or craft. That is valuable knowledge, leveraging it is another question.

I am merely posting this because when we name something, we bring it into awareness, and that allows a greater degree of control and reaction to the thing we just named. It can help make the world a better place. We allow things that exist to really exist in our world and our realities. To perceive it, as perception is to reality.

It’s also a cool skill, a mix between ‘observation’ skill and ‘lore’ skill. So, please do add some stat points into these two skills and find the unique world that we live in with more color. Go observe something and ask what that is, and go ahead and name it or find out the name for it. Learn more names and learn more words, and you’ll better comprehend the world we all live in.

Afterall, names are words, and-

Words Mean Things