Say What?

Great Sound, Zero Comprehension
Every once in a while, I come across a podcast/talk/lecture between intellectuals whose conversation/discussion I do not comprehend. It simply goes over my head. But it doesn't matter. Like opera or a Gregorian chant, you don't understand what's being said, but it's still music to your ears. They play words with such virtuoso eloquence that it's like Beethoven playing a symphony.

Modern-day Intellectual Powerhouses
In modern times, a few come to mind - Jordan Peterson, Christopher Hitchens, and Noam Chomsky. They speak in complex and dense language with specialized vocabulary and abstract thinking that it becomes challenging to follow especially when they talk in rapid-fire fashion. I remember Jordan Peterson saying that when he heard Ben Shapiro talk that fast, his mind must have been going 5X faster.

Jordan Peterson, Christopher Hitchens, Slavoj Žižek
Noam Chomsky, Camille Paglia and Steven Pinker

Deepak Chopra
I'm singling Deepak because I somehow feel that when he talks in intricate and superfluous words, his motive is not to educate or convey his ideas, but simply to impress. Why do I say that? Because he is smart - smart enough to gauge that the person he is talking to has no idea what he's talking about. I know, it's difficult at times to dumb it down, but if you really want to communicate, you will dumb it down for the other person's comprehension. I have no doubt that he's an intellectual powerhouse, but his language is so affected that smart people caricature his language as 'word salad'.

Ending Thoughts
Hearing these brilliant minds reminds me of my insignificance - it's a good exercise in humility.

--- Gigit (TheLoneRider)
YOGA by Gigit | Learn English | Travel like a Nomad | Donation Bank

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