Growing up, I always wanted a dog. I remember my mom telling me that they were too much trouble and I was too immature to actually take care of one. However, through the power of persuasion, I eventually talked her into getting me one. My first dog, was a rescue mutt, named Jethro that we brought home. He was a very sweet dog but he also had a lot of playfulness in him. He was a little too big for me and would jump on top of me and knock me over. My parents were worried that he would hurt me, so, unfortunately, we had to bring him back. My second dog, Lucky, was also a rescue but he was a border collie. I remember very vividly, the day we brought him home, it was raining and he was very nervous …show more content…
Ogden and Richards, “understood that meaning cannot be understood without recognizing the relationship between words, thoughts, and things” (Heath & Bryant, 2000, p.99). To better understand this relationship, they created the “triangle of meaning.” This triangle has three components, experience (referent), reference (thought), and symbols (words). The assumption on the theory is that, our interactions and experiences with a particular symbol, reference, or referent lead to our understanding of the meaning of those objects. “The more they are all aligned properly, synchronized, or shared by experiences,” “the more similar meaning is created and shared, communication becomes possible” (Lee, 2013). According to Lee (2013), “people can communicate only to the extent that they share experience.” Overall, the core concept is simple and quite logical. We come to understand a word, experience the word and form a reference, and communicate effectively with others when we share a common understanding of what the word made one refer …show more content…
It shows how one is able to make sense of things around us and translate that into communication with others. Without shared experiences, people would not be able to communicate effectively. If I had a conversation with someone who has never seen a dog, and never enjoyed their company, only understanding the word dog and seeing pictures, communication on the subject would break down. They would have no word to referent relationship because their lack of experience. The only limitations on this theory is that not everyone shares similar meaning with a