On the Interpretations of a Statement Beyond its Literal Sense

by Lee Fitzsimmons

Far too often, seemingly paradoxical statements are taken at face value and interpreted in a literal sense; however, there are often other possible interpretations of such statements. Such is the nature of many of the more witty and clever declarations made by many of the greatest thinkers throughout the centuries. Since such statements are often known to be elegantly worded proclamations that are capable of surviving throughout the ages, it would be rational to assume that these statements might be filled with other possible kinds of interpreted meaning. Oftentimes, the literal meanings of some of these assertions are merely smokescreens for some of the more subtle layers of nuanced reasoning that may be found, once the more obvious perceptions are stripped from these assertions.
                                                                                 
For instance, the statement that "sometimes, less is more" has a literal interpretation that is obviously oxymoronic in nature and (if taken in its most basic and exclusively quantitative sense) mathematically illogical. However, if the words of the statement are used in a qualitative sense, then it becomes rather easy to see that the overtly paradoxical nature of the assertion gives way to a highly logical statement that perfectly agrees with the rational idea of "quality over quantity." For example, a paragraph that has not been properly edited may contain more words in its unedited form and be somewhat confusing to the reader. However, when this paragraph is edited down to fewer words that express its ideas in a far more precise manner, then the paragraph is more meaningful. Thus, less (fewer words in the paragraph) is more (greater understanding by the reader) in this instance.

Such is the nature of many of the great assertions proclaimed throughout the centuries. Such is the nature of many of the normal assertions made throughout the years. Such is the nature of many of the everyday whims expressed in the casual conversations of people everyday. Such is the nature of humanity. When all of the various levels of meaning within a certain statement are taken into consideration, it is quite often the case that it contains several nuanced emotional expressions and subconscious notions of logic.

One should not judge a book by its cover.

One should not judge a statement by its most literal meaning.

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