We Say One Thing, People Hear Something Else

Larry Osborne says it’s frustrating when “my audience and I are using the same words but different dictionaries.” He gives two examples.

Tolerance. He says it used to mean letting people be wrong. Now it means recognizing that everybody is right. So when he preaches about being tolerant of people who hold different views on issues like gay rights, his audience hears, “We need to realize that their views are valid.”

Faith. It used to mean the belief that God would come through, somehow. Now, people think of faith as just an attitude of optimism. So instead of using “faith,” Osborne is using the word “trust,” which makes sense to me.

Just some interesting observations about our changing world.

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