difference

What word do I want people to know the true meaning of...What word do I want people to the true meaning of? Most any word can mean many things and most any word can mean different things in a different context situations, we all know this to be true. But what is the true meaning of a word, is it the first intended purpose of the word or is it the reference that is most used? When you hear the word: “different” what is the first thing that pops into your head is it the difference of two numbers or two unlike things? To me different is the difference of two numbers or two unlike things. Although these situation that use the word different as its intended meaning, we should not use the denotation of different for a excuse to bully or discriminate against anyone or for that matter any thing.

The denotation of different is as follows;1.  not alike in character or quality; differing;  dissimilar: The two are different.2. not identical; separate or distinct: three different answers. 3. various; several: Different people told me the same story. 4. not ordinary; unusual. These definitions can actually used in the situation of a person being different, but they should be used to identify the differences in people, not to label them as different. The word different should never be used in the situation to call someone different because are different from the “norm”. Let's face it there is no “norm” and they never will be; sure you can have people who think they are better, pretty or some other ridiculous excuse that they are better than anyone else. We are ALL HUMANS and no one is better than any other. People have been using different to describe the differences between two things for ages, and up until or recently people have been using the word different to bully, discriminate, or oppose harm to another. Different:  A word that knows no face, shape color, or race and a word with a very ugly connotation.

-Austin Jones