“But that´s semantics!”
We have all heard this phrase. It usually comes up when somebody struggles with getting his or her head around meaning, or understanding of a topic.
But semantics is really almost never the problem. Because semantics is a science, you know.
And what we struggle with when that phrase is uttered is usually not the science at all.
It is distinctions. Or “differences that make a difference.”
Differences are sometimes hard to understand, because our concepts, or mental models, or prejudices prevent us from seeing, or grasping them.
But differences matter. They are really interesting, and much more so than #definitions. Because distinctions, once grasped, help us to immediately perceive the world differently. They are highly practical.
An examples: Imagine what would happen if you did not know the difference between a #chair and a #table, but you had to interact with others about preparing a dinner.
I sometimes wonder if we would not solve pretty much all problems of organization (not of business, though!), if we all shared the same distinctions! 😉
Here is an article related to distinctions that you might find useful.
https://www.linkedin.com/pulse/hell-difference-niels-pflaeging/