on 8/15/2002: skzb wrote "Okay, that makes sense." in response to DBB writing "in thr first case, personal opinion, thers not that much relevance to what other people think. In other cases, consensus reality, it's useful to be in step with other people, particularly as to word usage. And yet both are pretty subjective. We can watch words change thier meaning just because people decide they have." All of communication between two people is made by consensus of reality. When two people do not agree on reality, no communication can take place. For example- I say ' That is a bad haircut.' You respond ' Thankyou, I like it too.' If we agree that a 'bad haircut ' is not desirable then the response makes no sense. If we agree that a 'bad haircut' is desirable then it does make sense. If the "bad haircut' is not desirable then communication has broken down and left me in a state of confusion. Therefore- no communication. It is like the conversation never took place or even worse, it leaves my communication line in a state of confusion and I am unable to effectively communicate due to the confusion over the 'bad haircut' inference. L. Ron Hubbard writes extensively on communication and bad vs good communication and the importance of agreement on reality in order for communication to take place. If this conversation interests you, I recomend that you read Dianetics or Handbook of Scientolgy, both by the aforementioned author. No, I am not a scientologist. I like philosophy, and L Ron Hubbard produced one of the most profound and interesting philosophies of the twentieth century. (In my opinion.) John Barbato