Constructs

I've been needing to rant about constructs for so long, man. The first important rule about constructs is that the proper punctuation used in any declarative or imperative sentence containing the words 'construct' or 'constructs'  used as nouns is ", man.", man. This (descriptive, not prescriptive) rule is due mainly to the fact that the majority of conversations involving 'constructs' as a noun are contemporaneous with the speakers' being under the influence of marijuana, man. When in Rome.

So what's a construct? Basically, it's any interpretation that you or society places on matter, space, time, or a combination thereof. Words are great examples of constructs, man. In terms of matter, space, and time, the most you can say about language is that we're manipulating air with our tongue, mouth, and vocal cords. The semantic content, however, is set by society and by the individual, and therefore is the source of many equivocations and misunderstandings. Constructs tend to do that, man. When you take this stance, it would seem that the "truth" behind the meaning of words, and therefore sentences, is dependent on the speaker and her context.

It gets more awesome. Once you see language in this light, you can start looking for all sorts of things that society defines and upon which it deems itself authoritative. What is "Love"? Besides being "baby don't hurt me," it's another construct; something that you listen to people talk about and of which you create a piecemeal definition in your own mind, man. Same thing goes for 'male' and 'female;' as far as how each gender is supposed to act in society, these rules only exist in the collective societal mind and your own.

The reason that this realization is so awesome is that you can defy constructs, man. When you realize that their authority is not grounded in what exists outside our minds but rather what exists within our minds, you can change your mind. You can listen to people talk about 'love' and say, "Don't tell me what love is; I'll tell you what love is!" You can say, "Don't tell me what a Man is and does; I'll tell you what a Man is and does!" It creates a view of truth that's as rich and diverse as culture as long as you're talking about our interpretations and understanding of the matter, space, and time around us. When you're talking about whether or not this is here or that is there, there's no room for disagreement. But when you're talking about what blue is or what beauty is, the conversation is open, dynamic, alive, and interesting. You're absolutely free to set your own definitions and impose your own interpretations on what exists, and that's the first step to articulating and achieving your goals. That's why constructs are important to understand, man.