MISQUOTATION

MISQUOTATION

Quotation is simply a person's exact words as repeated by another person.

Misquotation then is an instance or occasion where a person's exact words (oral or written) are not accurately repeated.

In our society, the mainstream relies on the wings of misquotation to transport various messages to carefree, careless and thoughtless recipients like you and I.
Many tabloids, people and reporters have been in one lawsuit or the other due to the different degrees of misquotation going on.
One thing that stays true is that there could be a very high price to pay if you are found guilty of misquoting someone.

My question is “why is there a relatively high punishment attached to the sin of misquotation”?

THE REASON:

“There are very few things that can “kill” faster than the words of your mouth. Therefore, if I can make people believe that you said something which you may or may not have said, then I am equally able to kill you as fast as your words can kill you.”

There are rules at every level of the society that governs the use and misuse of quotations.
In universities, it is put under the umbrella of plagiarism and could have consequences as weighty as expulsion.
In the work place, you can get the sack and in the mainstream, it could have huge financial consequences.

THE DRILL

Misquotation occurs primarily and acceptably in one way ……by "omission". If you do it any other way (by addition), you are simply heading for trouble. I’m sure you wouldn’t be stupid enough to add to what someone has said unless you know it is harmless or that you wouldn’t be found out.
The laws binding the words of anyone is very strong, but deceit and lies are things that has taken us humans captive and though they destroy our families, we still fervently pursue a life immersed in deception.

SIMPLICITY

It is very surprising that one of the things we learn at a very early age is an exposure to the effects that misquotation can have.
As kids growing up, a major prototype of misquotation that we were exposed to came in the vintage game “Chinese whispers”.
A chosen individual starts the game by whispering a sentence into the ears of another person. The receiver passes on what he or she has heard to the next person and so on. By the time the sentence gets back to the starter, it is observed that the content of the sentence would have changed dramatically. That is misquotation in its harmless form.
This simple phenomenon has caused the downfall of many families.
A few weeks ago, I was on the train hopping between two cities when I met a gentle man called Matt. We got into conversation and I proudly told him about what I am doing with my life and my time. Over the course of the almost 2hr long journey, Matt told me about how he almost lost his best friend to a deadly strain of this killer concept “MISQUOTATION”. For a period of 6 years, there was no contact between the two and it all started when

http://www.waynecounty.com/coalitiontochangetheculture/imgs/conflict.jpg

“someone said the best friend said something about Mat which had devastating effects”.
Matt in ignorance believed the story, reacted to the story and after 6 years of hurt, pain and brokenness, Matt found out that his best friend had been misquoted. Now they are back together, their friendship even stronger.
However, not every story of this sort has a wonderful ending like Matts. The consequences of misquotation can be severe, damaging and irrecoverable.

WHY DO WE STILL DO IT?

Every major work has suffered from the bites of misquotation: religious books, the Bible, individuals, Shakespeare etc. to name a few and you are not an exception.

“You said….You didn’t say”…. “I didn’t say, but I said”….. “That’s not all I said, you only heard the first part”….

These are things we sure must have uttered at the times when misquotation is taking its toll on us.

Misquotation may not be intentional as in some cases; therefore as we’ve learnt in past lessons, TOLERANCE becomes an important value for family members to have.

You will not intentionally misquote someone if you are

 Living a life that seeks peace
 An ambassador of harmony
 Loving and caring

So, deliberate misquotation is an identifier of a trouble maker.

In the words of this series………..
Misquotation is an instrument of a Miscreant…. Don’t be caught with it.

MISCONCEPTION

Misconception……. (There is a God)

Simply put, misconception is a mistaken ideology.

In our day to day existence, misconception is not so much of an issue. Our society has been carefully set up in such a way that what you end up knowing is what the society wants you to know.
The education system, company’s training schemes; family values and upbringing etc, all contribute to ensuring that we do not have the wrong conceptions about the things that matter in life.

Recently, its was concluded that the celebrity craze and all its baggage is resulting in vulnerable members of the society having a misconception of what true beauty or even healthy living is all about. People don’t want to be overweight; hence, they live so healthy that they become underweight. (Misconception)

With a big twist of this tale however, the misconception in our society that grips my heart is that which defines as false the existence of God.

(Psalms 14 vs. 1)

“The fool says in his heart there is no God…..”

I would like to make it clear that being a “fool” in this context is not necessarily related to being stupid or acting in a stupid way. I am talking about

“A person lacking in good sense of judgement….”
-Advanced learners English dictionary

A few years ago a group of lovely children raised their opinion about how they will not hesitate to call someone a fool if the person “says (mouth)” “there is no God”. I remember telling them the dangers of calling someone a fool and how it’s not very christianly.

Matthew 5 vs. 21- 22
“…… I'm telling you that anyone who……… Thoughtlessly yell 'stupid!'(Fool) at a brother or sister…… is on the brink of hellfire. The simple moral fact is that words kill.”…… (Paraphrased) (THE MESSAGE)

“A fool says in his “HEART”….. It is not just from the mouth or may never be from the mouth…… it is from the heart. The fool lives the unbelief.

Anything from the heart is reflected by every part of your body be it the blood that is pumped from the heart…love…. or hatred….and so is unbelief. You’ll live it if you have it.

Later on in the scriptures, the bible now explained the distinction between being foolish and being wise, the result of the right conception.

Hebrew 11 vs. 6
“If a person does not believe God, he cannot please him. Anyone who comes to God must believe that God is real. And he must believe that God will bless those who try to find him. God will reward a person, if he really tries to find God.”
- (Worldwide English)

We have two things fighting when it comes to misconception. We believe that God exists in the world and in the word (bible), but we do not believe that God exists in our lives. We believe that God is still preoccupied with the management of times and seasons (rain, sunshine…. Etc….)

Psalm 94 vs. 7 - 11
They think, "God isn't looking, Jacob's God is out to lunch." Well, think again, you idiots, fools
How long before you get smart? Do you think Ear-Maker doesn't hear?
Eye-Shaper doesn't see?
Do you think the trainer of nations doesn't correct, the teacher of Adam doesn't know?
God knows, all right— knows your stupidity, sees your shallowness. (The Message)

Listen, the work of creation was finished on the day of creation, what is yet to be done is what you will do with your life.

Acts 17 vs. 22 – 30 (http://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=acts%2017:22-30;&version=45;)

We don’t know who is saying in their heart that there is no God, so how can we identify them.

2 timothy 3 vs 9 …… their folly will be clear to everyone.

“Your conviction determines your conduct and your confession in the state of your confusion is a conclusion of your condition… folks, we’re talking about MISCONCEPTION.”

When you believe that God “is”…..It

ü Gives you an elevated view of mankind. (Gen 126, psalm 81- 9)
ü Causes you to treat others nicely (I Corinth 1111 - 12, Philippians 23-5,Matthew 712)
ü Gives a sense of purpose to your existence (1Peter 29)

And finally, believing that God “is” puts joy in living and takes fear out of dying ….The result of the right conception.

MISCREANT

Miscreant

“Be not deceived evil Communication corrupts good manners” (1corinthians 15 vs. 33)

A miscreant is simply a wrong doer. A person without moral scruples i.e. they do not have any moral principles guiding their thoughts or actions.

Having this kind of person in our families spells disaster.
Saddam Hussein was portrayed as a miscreant in the world family and it led to why military action was taken against him.
At different points in family units, we could almost always sense that some people fit this description. All they care about is themselves, they do not follow laid down rules, and they do not think hard enough that their actions could lead to “Family meltdown”.

A story from the good book of life (the bible) will help explain the effects miscreants can have on a family…..even a family as big as a nation. .

This story is about a man named Achan the son of Carmi, the son of Zabdi, the son of Zerah of the tribe of Judah.

It came about when the people of Israel went to take over the city of Jericho.

The city of Jericho was recorded as a fortified city with good military strength. The highlight of Jericho’s military capability was resident in the strength of the city wall.
The story of the destruction of Jericho and the collapse of the wall can be found in the bible in the book of Joshua chapters 6 and 7.
God played a major role in the Israelite’s victory by giving them instructions on what to do to bring the walls down. But those were not the only instructions; He also told the Israelites to utterly destroy the city and MUST not take any spoils for themselves. All the spoils must be given to God i.e. taken to God’s house.

The Israelites conquered Jericho, celebrated and decided to move on to the next city that will be conquered. This next city by the name Ai was smaller, less powerful and of no significant threat to the Israelites, so we say….a piece of cake for the Israelites. Unfortunately, it wasn’t the case. Fresh from conquering Jericho, the Israelites were defeated by this small city and it raised concerns and a lot of questions.
What went wrong?
In this type of situation, the Israelites will consult God to get answers and so they did. God answered and told the Israelites that they have broken his commandment. Someone in the Israeli camp had taken spoils for themselves and God was upset about it. Achan the culprit was found out and he was punished for his offence.
The Israelite army went back to Ai after dealing with the Miscreant in the camp, and they were back to winning ways.

Remember, the wining ways was not in a chess or football game. Achan’s sin (disobedience) caused the death of 36 Israeli soldiers in their first attack against the small city of Ai and these Soldier’s lives cannot be brought back.

Characteristics of a miscreant

v The go their own way instead of tried and tested ways
v They are disobedient
v They have their own agenda instead of a corporate one
v They live double lives (Hypocrites)
v They have a form of godliness but deny its power
v They are always learning, but never know the truth. They learn to argue.

Miscreants are in widespread existence in our families. We find our families at the mercy of these types of individuals and taking a laid back approach will almost mean we have resigned ourselves to defeat.

How does this affect you?

Your beloved family could soon be destroyed e.g. national family
You can be a victim of the consequences of someone else’s wrong doing (the dead soldiers). Achan himself did not die in the battle.
Your hard work could be of no productive significance or use e.g. if there is a miscreant at your work place.
You stand the risk of being convinced to become a miscreant

Lines of action!!!

Report to proper authorities concerning the activities of a miscreant. If your sibling is constantly punching the television set, and you decided not say anything significant about it, it might not take long before the whole family experiences life without a TV. Telling your parents could land him/her in trouble, but it would have resulted in a better outcome.
Likewise, if your colleague at work is constantly following the wrong procedures, you might excuse yourself as not being the manager, but don’t be surprised if you all become jobless as a result of those wrong procedures.

United we stand, divided we fall…. Seek unity among the family units that you belong to.

A chain is only as strong as its weakest link. So no matter how hard you’ve worked or tried, a miscreant in your family means failure might not be as far away as you think.

Lets all make it our responsibility to look after each other….. The presence of a suicide bomber in a busy market means the market is as safe as the bomber blowing up.

Now do you care??? I think you should.

NEXT WEEK!!!! WHO IS A FOOL?........ Stay Paged

MIS-INTERPRETATION

Hi,
well, the time has come and the first "mis" is unveiled below.. Welcome

MISINTERPRETATION

Misinterpretation is a “miss” that accompanies the word interpret in causing confusion in our families.

From the Oxford University dictionary, to interpret means:
A) “To decide that something/somebody has a particular meaning and to understand it in this way”

The upgrade to that definition is given by the American Heritage dictionary
“To present or conceptualize the meaning of……” the decision (as in “A” above)

Misinterpretation then is when you get that decision, meaning and the presentation wrong.
To wrongful translate orally or in languages the words, actions and ideas of a creator.
It is also a false processed response to an idea, oral or written data that has been taken in.

Everyday, we find ourselves with the task of interpreting information that comes our way so we can act on them. Be it your baby crying, your spouse kissing you (home family), your teacher teaching you (school family), your boss allocating a new project (work family) or even a stranger raising their middle finger at you (societal family).

Every reaction you put forward is supporting the decision you have made concerning interpretation.
If someone slaps you real hard, your interpretation of that slap will determine how you’ll react, either with a frown (if you deserve the slap), a return slap (if your pride is on the line) or a groan of satisfaction (as in a sexual environment).

Misinterpretation will occur if as in a sexual environment, you respond to the slap by beating up whoever that slapped you.

If you get the decision wrong… no matter how truthful and well meaning you are, your processed response will always be wrong. An upgrade to the consequence occurs when you present the wrong response to others to run with. A chain of wrong responses will erupt and in no time, the family will be in crisis.

Misinterpretation can be grouped under these three broad headings:

Ignorant misinterpretation
Deliberate misinterpretation
System misinterpretation

Ignorant misinterpretation: This is caused by the narrowness in the availability of options for the interpreter. The interpreter has got the decision wrong because they do not have the capability to digest, analyse and grasp “correctly” the data (action, words or writing) being passed on to them. In other words, they don’t know better.

Deliberate misinterpretation: This is a result of the revelation of the contents of the mind of the interpreter. The interpreter has got the decision wrong because he/she purposely wants to cause trouble, harm or inflict pain.

System misinterpretation: This is the most common form of misinterpretation and it combines ignorance and deliberate forms of interpretation.
System misinterpretation is connected to every aspect of our lives. Each person’s decision is sourced from their pool of knowledge. This pool of knowledge encompasses academic education, moral education, experience, societal influence, mindset configuration etc.
So you’ll find that a good person makes a good interpreter and a bad person makes a bad interpreter.
The content of your interpretation will stem from the vocabulary stored in your system. So, if you have a good (positive) mindset, your interpretations of words and actions will be from a good database and will almost always turn out good but if you have a bad (negative) mindset, then without doubt, your interpretation of words and actions will almost always turn out bad irrespective of what you take in.

I have met a few people in life that will not take gifts because in their minds, they are always certain that the giver is trying to be cunning and only giving because the giver would want something greater in return at another day.
This thought line could be true in some cases, but not in all cases.

Your knowledge base is a major determinant of the correctness of your interpretation.
Misinterpretation wrecks havoc in our families simply because ideas and talks are passed around based on the interpreter.

2Timothy 2 vs. 2
And the [instructions] which you have heard from me along with many witnesses, transmit and entrust [as a deposit] to reliable and faithful men who will be competent and qualified to teach others also.

In our families, it is good practise to ensure that for every unsure recipient, we make sure that messages are passed on with drivers.
We understand that computers need drivers or else their interpreted responses will be wrong, useless and misleading. Likewise, for every recipient that is not on the same level as you, please provide your messages with drivers.

How do you do this?

v Recognise the difference in “knowledge base” in the family
v Be conscious of the possibility of misinterpretation in the family
v Clarify your thoughts and messages. (word, actions and writings)
v Pursue harmony in the family and stay faithful
v Give the people around you the benefit of doubt

The easiest aspect of misinterpretation to miss is an interpretation of actions. Watch out for those winks and “evil eyes”…. They may just be the person’s natural condition…..and not passing any message across or having any meaning to it. (lol)

Thank you for starting this journey with me. Hope to see you next week as I pick up another “Mis” in the series to ensure that we learn the things that causes our families to go amiss.

Hint for next week: Always learning, but never know the truth… they learn to argue…. YES, it is another “Mis”

Stay paged.