Words, equality, and language behavior

Just a small note about words.  Words are created equal, like people.  It's the environment that people and words operate in that make them different.  Immediately upon saying this all manner of thoughts come to mind.  One thought is that some words build up, others tear apart.  So, how can words be equal?  I think it is not the words themselves that build or destroy.  It is the total environment they are spoken in.  What was the tone of voice used?  What was the accompanying body gesture used?  How did the eyes appear as the words were spoken?  Was there hesitation before speaking?  Was there a redirection of thought?  What was the cadence for the words?  All of the answers to these questions help to give meaning to the words.  Something simple such as "Sure, I was paying attention," can have at least 4 meanings even though the words are all the same (or equal).

And words can have two or more meanings. It's always a matter of interpretation for a listener when he arrives at the gist of an utterance.  Pragmatics is all about the environment words operate in?  Sometimes words require implied knowledge or background about the topic at hand for accurate message meaning rather than the concrete meaning of the words.  If the listener has incomplete knowledge or only partial background of the topic, then meaning is skewed.

Finally, values are brought to the table by people.  Values force people to make choices among words.  This creates the notion that some words are worse or better than other words.  It's an illusion, though. Why do some people think the word "fox" is sly, crafty, or crooked while others think "fox" refers to a seductive or beautiful woman?  Why is a "dog" used pejoratively when applied to humans?  Why is "snake" thought of as evil outside of its literal meaning?  Why can I make a hierarchy of words for body parts based on values brought to the table?  For example, it's OK to say "seat," "rear-end," or "buttocks," less OK to shorten to "butt," forbidden in some circles to say "ass," but playful to say "backside" and endearing to say "buns?"  All those terms refer to the same body part.

All words are created equal, but environment, pragmatics, and semantics keep us from saying some words in some places.  Is it prudence or hypocrisy that allows environment, pragmatics, and semantics to dictate word choice if all words are created equal? Some people opt for prudence, others for hypocrisy.  That is why there is diversity.