SEMANTICS MEAN SOMETHING!

Semantics are important. When people say “arguing semantics” , they usually they mean lingo or jargon. They’re referring to the different words used to convey a message, or the combination of words used to infer meaning. They are confusing semantics with syntax. The words really DON’T matter, AS LONG AS the meaning is understood. Semantics are concerned with meaning. If you are trying to communicate with someone, it doesn’t matter the codex being used as long as the sender and the receiver are using the same code, which means that the words they use have the same meaning. Semantics matter more than anything if you intend to communicate effectively. Otherwise, we are just throwing out sounds without purpose. Reasonable people care about semantics. Ignorant people will mindlessly mislabel those trying to understand their gibberish as fools arguing over semantics.

I’m sure Socrates got a lot of undue criticism in this manner for being too concerned with semantics when he was employing his critical thinking methods to understand those around him. He knew meaning and semantics mattered, not the words. But he also understood that words were the tools used to convey meaning and the only way to ensure the meaning was understood was to use words deliberately and carefully. Sometimes that means debating words and their meaning to establish an agreed upon definition to ensure effective communication, which is the understanding of conveyed messages.