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.
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.
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.
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.
I heard the tongues of angels and the tongues of men and it all sounded no different to me.
