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It is amusing to discover, in the twentieth century, that the quarrels between two lovers, two mathematicians, two nations, two economic systems, usually assumed insoluble in a finite period should exhibit one mechanism, the semantic mechanism of identification - the discovery of which makes universal agreement possible, in mathematics and in life.

Alfred Korzybski#13

LanguageSemanticsCommunicationAgreementWar

About this quote

What does it mean?
Many conflicts share a common semantic root, which can enable universal agreement.
In plain terms
Quarrels often share a language problem that can be fixed for agreement.
What can you take from it?
Fix semantic issues to resolve conflicts.

Where it applies

  • diplomacy
  • debate
  • problem-solving

Putting it to work

  • analyze semantic roots
  • standardize terms

Questions to consider

  • What semantic issues block agreement?
  • How could better language solve disputes?

Another view

Not all conflicts have semantic solutions.

More from Alfred Korzybski

  1. God may forgive your sins, but your nervous system won't. (Korzybski states that it is not his quote in S&S)

    Permalink to quote #12
  2. Any proposition containing the word 'is' creates a linguistical structural confusion which will eventually give birth to serious fallacies.

    Permalink to quote #14
  3. There are two ways to slide easily through life: to believe everything or to doubt everything; both ways save us from thinking.

    Permalink to quote #11

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