As soon as we start putting our thoughts into words and sentences everything gets distorted, language is just no damn good—I use it because I have to, but I don’t put any trust in it. We never understand each other.
Faced with the nonsense question 'What is the meaning of a word?' and perhaps dimly recognizing it to be nonsense, we are nevertheless not inclined to give it up.
I don't believe in the power of words.
I question every word; I write 'the' and immediately feel scorn. It's such an ordinary word - everybody uses it - why can't I come up with something original? In the sunlight, every single word seems hackneyed.
The word is a label and I don't like it at all.
My doubts stand in a circle around every word, I see them before I see the word, but what then! I do not see the word at all, I invent it.
Words are grown so false, I am loath to prove reason with them.
Most people who deal in words don't have much faith in them and I am no exception.
I heard the tongues of angels and the tongues of men and it all sounded no different to me.
You are more than entitled not to know what the word 'performative' means. It is a new word and an ugly word, and perhaps it doesnot mean anything very much. But at any rate there is one thing in its favor, it is not a profound word.
