A letter plus a letter is a word, a word plus a word is a phrase, then expressions, texts, speeches, stories, novels… But let's look at a small fragment of this long chain, such as an expression. So what is an expression?
The word "expression". Meaning of the word
This word can be used in different senses. Firstly, it can be used in the verb form, for example, express, express. Express yourself more clearly, express your thoughts. Secondly, it can be used to describe the manifestations of a person's internal state, which can be seen on the face, in the eyes. Thirdly, it is often used in mathematics to denote a mathematical relation, which can be represented as a set of signs or formulas. Fourth, it can be a turn of speech consisting of words or phrases.
Parable
Since ancient times of the existence of mankind, words, expressions, speeches, instructions have controlled people. And the higher a person rose in his spiritual development, the more he could express in words. There are an incredible number of exampleswe present one of them. There is a parable that can serve as an example when words and expressions can have different depths of meaning.
In the distant, distant past, masons built the city. A sage passing by asked the first: "What are you doing?" "I'm laying stones," he replied. "What are you doing?" - the sage asked the second bricklayer. "I feed my family, earn my bread." "Well, what are you doing?" "I'm building a temple!" - such was the answer of the third bricklayer. “I am making the world better. I serve God." - so answered the fourth bricklayer.
On the example of a parable, I would like to reveal the concept of "expressions with meaning". The answer of each of the workers was understandable, and in their own way each spoke correctly, but the meaning attached to the answer was so different that it makes it clear to the reader what kind of person is in front of him. The first answer is absolutely meaningless, which determines the primitivism of a person, the second and third cases - the personal development of each of them is at different levels. The answer of the fourth is the answer of a spiritual person, a creator and creator. In this case, what is the expression? These are different levels of human understanding of meaning.
Such statements can help a person understand and solve a problem, they can make you laugh or make you think about life, death, love. Here, for example, is a statement that belongs to Remarque: “In dark times, bright people are clearly visible.” Or such a wonderful expression that belongs to our contemporaries: “Life is like a photograph, when you smile, it turns out better.”
To have orbe
What is an expression? First of all, it's meaning. Perhaps not the first, but the only one. There is such a wonderful expression - "To have or to be." It has only two key words, but they make any sane person think about a lot. The German psychoanalyst, philosopher Erich Fromm wrote a book on this subject, which he called “To have or to be?” In his work, he writes that modern society has become materialistic, the verb “to have” comes first, the material base occupies the main position in society, and the verb “to be” retreats to a distant secondary plane, that is, to be happy, he althy, free means less than being rich. But everyone chooses for himself what he likes best, and everyone understands that one does not exclude the other, and sometimes is inextricably linked with each other. There is an expression with meaning that confirms the words said above: “As we get older, the wish list for the New Year becomes shorter, because over time we understand that what we really want, money cannot buy.”
Idioms
There is a special kind of expressions called idioms. Their meaning is not equal to the meaning of the words of which they are composed. In Russian, such an expression can serve as an example - "To work carelessly." In other words, we can say that a person works poorly, unfairly fulfills his duties. In English, idioms are very often used, but if you translate them literally, you get complete nonsense. There is one such statement, when translated it sounds like this: “You pullmy leg!" But the meaning of this statement must be reduced to the following: “You are fooling me!” These are the features. Or here is such a wonderful wise thought, which can also be attributed to idioms: "If life makes ropes out of you, do not rush to lather them." In other words: “If it’s difficult for you, don’t give up, try to overcome difficulties, fight them, don’t give up.”
Conclusion. Outcome
In conclusion, summing up what has been said, I would like to note once again what an expression is, why and what it is for.
What power lies within them! How much wisdom they can give! How they teach to understand the difference between price and value, between doubt and truth, between love and compassion! Learn to rely on yourself. I would like to end the story with such a wonderful expression: “Life is not a zebra, which consists of white and black stripes, but a chessboard. Everything will depend only on your move.”
