Agreed. Wholeheartedly. It can seem like such a trivial matter, but really, it's a problem of seemingly enormous capacity. And I guess that's it, isn't it - "capacity". There appears to be very little "capacity" in so many to retain much beyond the very caveman basics needed to "get by" and communicate just short of grunts and wild gestures. I tend to listen very carefully, and believe it or not, I tend to listen more than I speak when I'm out-and-about. Thus, it never fails to baffle me, how unresourceful a great deal of folks are when it comes to language. Too many words? Maybe. But aren't they more beautiful, in and of themselves, than just about anything else on the planet? A single word can breathe life into what would otherwise be a dull sentence, and likewise a single word can transform a nondescript piece of information into something catastrophically tragic. The mere "sound" of some is musical, while others fall on the ears exactly as they are intended to - grating, harsh, and succinct. And yet with all of this inherent in the use of them, too many people use too few of the same boring words over and over, repetitively, and there is no beauty or intrigue in their speech as a result. It's sad, really, and maybe that's why I enjoy some of the authors that I do; reading their thoughts and ideas is enjoyable not only for the information contained therein, but also for the rhythm and seamless flow that emanates.

It would be interesting to hear you expound a bit further on your statement: "...a unique feeling, but a shared one". It sounds like a difficult point to arrive at, all things considered, but if I know you even a little by now, I'm sure you've got plenty more where that came from. And again, too many words? I don't think that's possible, really, wonderful tools that they are, but too little instruction? Most definitely. Perhaps therein lies the bulk of the problem. I do recall being absolutely appalled all throughout school, from elementary onward, at how little attention was paid to proper spelling and grammar. After all, isn't that where everything stems from? Aren't words and their meaning(s) what it's all about, at the end of the day? Don't words and a varied vocabulary trump even Mathematics and Physics, considering that even those important disciplines couldn't exist without our beloved words?

I wonder, frequently, in fact, how so many people get by using so few of the words at their disposal. I would think it terribly frustrating and maddening to have so little to express the vast range of emotions one can feel even in a single hour. I myself would be a slave to the thesaurus if it weren't for the likes of Ayn Rand, Henry Miller, etc., etc. Along with the lack of interest in a wider vocabulary is quite often the lack of interest in literature, as well. That always saddens me, too. In words, and in books as collections of words, can be found entire parallel realities; they can be bent or perceived for the purposes of escapism or a deeper and more purposeful reality. The choice is up to the individual. I couldn't imagine a life without those capabilities at my fingertips. But is the joy found in these things something that can be taught in school? Or is it birthed with the individual? I suppose you could have a debate and find ample support for either view. Personally, however, I think that it could, for the most part, be imparted via education. Not in every case, but in most. If it could somehow be effectively relayed how much awaits in-between the covers of the millions of books available throughout the world, perhaps then the curiosity could be stirred. For now, however, too many educational institutions, both compulsory and secondary, mandate a set-forth list of books to be read and examined, with (so it seems, anyway) very little thought given to individual preferences and interests. For those students that struggle with the concept of reading period, this must seem daunting and punishing indeed. Then all too often they graduate and have no use for literature - or the words contained within. Perhaps more scary is that this is the rule, rather than the exception. Or so the widespread lack of expressive vocabulary would lead you to believe.