| These days, many people seem to have forgotten the | | | | Next, let's focus on a word that inspires more anger |
| true meanings of words and phrases. Nobody wants | | | | and resentment than any other six letters jammed |
| to open up a dictionary anymore, and so the meanings | | | | together: belief. |
| of words become hazy in our minds, vulnerable to | | | | Bigfooters don't want to be called believers. They |
| misuse. Many Bigfoot researchers like to throw words | | | | studiously avoid using the words belief or believe. |
| around like heavy stones, in the hopes one will knock | | | | What are they afraid of? |
| an opponent senseless. Yet their use of the words | | | | Belief can refer to an acceptance of the tenets |
| shows how little they truly understand the meanings of | | | | endorsed by a group, such as a religious institution. But |
| those words. | | | | belief also means "a conviction of the truth of some |
| Semantics refers to the study of meaning. Every word | | | | statement or the reality of some being or phenomenon |
| has at least one specific, historically documented | | | | esp. when based on examination of evidence." |
| meaning. Most have several. To start things off, let's | | | | Conviction quite literally means "the state of being |
| examine the word "primate." | | | | convinced." |
| Many Bigfoot researchers use the words primate and | | | | Think about the definition I just quoted for the word |
| ape interchangeably; however, the words are not | | | | belief--"a conviction...of the reality of some being or |
| synonyms. A primate is "any of an order (Primates) of | | | | phenomenon." What's wrong with being convinced that |
| mammals that are characterized esp. by advanced | | | | a being or phenomenon is real? If you don't think |
| development of binocular vision, specialization of the | | | | Bigfoots are real, then why exactly are you |
| appendages for grasping, and enlargement of the | | | | investigating the sightings? |
| cerebral hemispheres and that include humans, apes, | | | | The second part of the definition states "esp. when |
| monkeys, and related forms (as lemurs and tarsiers)." | | | | based on examination of evidence." In essence, belief |
| An ape is "any of two families (Pongidae and | | | | happens when you examine the evidence for a |
| Hylobatidae) of large tailless semierect primates (as | | | | phenomenon and become convinced of the reality of |
| the chimpanzee, gorilla, orangutan, or gibbon)." | | | | that phenomenon. I see nothing silly or unscientific |
| Hmm...they don't sound like synonyms to me. If you call | | | | about belief. To believe simply means "to hold an |
| Bigfoots primates, then I would agree with you. | | | | opinion." Without opinions, without belief, science would |
| Humans are primates too. But if you call Bigfoots apes, | | | | never advance. Truth begins as a question, followed |
| I would disagree. First of all, Bigfoots are not semierect; | | | | up by the gathering and examination of evidence, and |
| they walk upright just like humans. Second, they have | | | | culminating in an informed opinion--i.e. a belief. |
| not been proven to belong either of the two families | | | | I believe in Bigfoot. And I'm not ashamed to say so. |
| mentioned in the definition. Before you use a word like | | | | Once you understand the real meanings of words, |
| primate--or any word--as a weapon in your intellectual | | | | they lose their power over you. Dare to believe in |
| arsenal, make sure you understand its meaning. | | | | Bigfoot. |