The Prismatic

I like to think of synonyms as existing on a vocabulary spectrum, where chromatic shades of variegated intensity are attached to different words that mean more or less the same thing.

For instance, there is a vast rainbow of words that define a particular individual as stupid, from cretin (violet) to nincompoop (yellow), and finding the exact right word is like discovering the proverbial pot of gold. Declaring with complete conviction that someone is a moron (amber) always provides a very cathartic and personally satisfying experience, as I'm sure you will agree. 

But idiots (blue) do not exhibit the same pigmented degree of foolishness (orange) all the time, of course, which is why the word rainbow is really a color wheel that is always spinning.

In fact, my mind often creates a kind of pulsating psychedelic light-show when classifying its crazier (scarlet) interlocutors, as their conversation veers from absurdity (green) to downright imbecility (mauve).

It's rather like the judgmental snob's (purple) equivalent of seeing auras, which is interesting because a kaftan-wearing ashram-dweller (red alert) recently told me my aura was "rust colored" and that he was afraid he could get tetanus just by looking at me.

Although, how the old hippie (puce) could actually see my aura when so completely absorbed by his own naval-gazing I haven't yet figured out. Suffice it to say, our colors were not complementary.

Nevertheless, his psychic pronouncement, however colorblind it may be, has obviously bothered me enough to record it here on my blog (cracked eggshell). After all, nothing is black and white.

Comments

[Tat]

"Color wheel that's always spinning" - see Munsell color system.
Cracked eggshell is exquisite!

[stephenesque]

I just saw it: the idea of describing stupidity as a decimal notation is very intriguing.