In the Bernstein reading for today, he talked about the written word and how its functions have changed over time. In the ancient Greek times, there was a shift of written word as an aid to memorization to actually performing the function of recording things so that they did not have to be memorized. There was a dual purpose. Even today, the things we write and the way we write not only serves the function of recording purposes, but it also inspires-- another dual purpose.
When we write, we have the ability to preserve our thoughts and feelings on a particular subject. That preservation can then be looked back upon at a later time, whether it is by ourselves or by someone else. If someone else looks at what we have written, and they absorb it, it has the potential to change or inspire them.
If I were to write a blog where I decided to capitalize words that I find important, and someone else reads my blog and decides that what I have done is a good idea, and they go out and write their own blogs that capitalize important words, and someone else reads their blog, and so on and so forth, it has the potential to change the way people write. This can be true not only for things like blogs, but things like books and magazines and television and text messaging. It could also be things not just like capitalization, but ideas that could inspire. It has the potential to become a rolling snowball, growing bigger and bigger and bigger.
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I like the idea of inspiration. The way we adapt and mimic things we like and use them as our own. It is very true and writing does allow us to do this. It can shape many things even outside of writing. Dance, art, film, etc.. all can be inspirational in this way. But my question would be is this something that writing has done or has it been there all along. Could this same idea be true in strictly oral cultures. If someone uses a word in a unique wa and they take that on. Almost like the invention of a word. Language itself can inspire and is this inspiration that you discuss only a product of writing?
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