It is my opinion that most disagreements in conversations is due to a lack of understanding. This lack of understand stems from two things. One, it is sometimes hard trying to get past one’s own perspective in order to see things from someone else’s perspective. Two, people tend to use different definitions for words which can be a stumbling block. It is important to remember that language is always updating. As time and society progresses throughout history, words get redefined or updated. When words are redefined, the old definitions do not disappear but rather they are stuck in time, waiting to be applied in the time in which it was applied. It is still there for those who use them. It is important to know the definitions of words especially when conversing with others. If one is using a different definition than the other person, both people will end up talking past each other. An example of a word that’s been redefined recently is “racism”. The original definition of racism defined by the Merriam-Webster dictionary is “a belief that race is a fundamental determinant of human traits and capacities and that racial differences produce an inherent superiority of a particular race” (“Racism”). The newest definition is “the systemic oppression of a racial group to the social, economic, and political advantage of another” (“Racism”). Merriam-Webster dictionary updated the definition of racism in the middle of 2020 after a letter of request. (Mosley) The change is small and subtle but still an important change. Another word that is important to discuss that has long since been redefined is “Pray”. Pray is a simple word that most people automatically know the definition, but they never look at the previous definitions. The modern definition of pray is defined as “to address God or a god with adoration, confession, supplication, or thanksgiving” (“Pray”). The older definition of pray is defined as “ENTREAT, IMPLORE  —often used as a function word in introducing a question, request, or plea” (“Pray”). This change in the definition is not small. You should not judge a prior society’s actions by a modern society’s morals. In a similar way, you should not use a modern definition when reading historical documents when the historical documents were using a previous definition. One must not think that they know what a word means until one looks up the word in its historical context. A good example of this is often shown in dialogues between Catholics and Protestants within the Christian religion. Catholics often use the old definition of pray while Protestants often use the modern definition of pray. Because of this, there is a lot of confusion and misinformation. Since Catholics use the old definition of pray, when they pray to saints to pray for them, they are asking those within the body of Christ to ask God for them. Since Protestants use the modern definition of pray, when they hear that Catholics pray to those within the body of Christ, they think they are in the wrong. There is a lot of play on words involved. This is why knowing the definitions that others use for words is very important in not only conversations but historical research. 

Works Cited

“Pray.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/pray. Accessed 25 Jul. 2021.

“Racism.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/racism. Accessed 25 Jul. 2021.

Mosley, Tonya and Samantha Raphelson. “Merriam-Webster To Revise The Definition Of Racism After Receiving Recent Graduate’s Letter | Here & Now.” WBUR. 12 Jun 2020. Web. 25 Jul 2021. <http://www.wbur.org/hereandnow/2020/06/12/merriam-webster-racism-definition&gt;.