Language

Language is critically important; as many of us know.

In this graduate program, I am constantly finding myself refining, re-phrasing, and re-defining for myself, the words I use to express my thoughts (or attempts at expressing my thoughts).  A perfect example, and something I am struggling with in class, is the word "operationalize". 


You can think of operationalize in two ways:
1) to define a concept or variable so that it can be measured or expressed quantitatively

or

2) to put into operation, start working



I use operationalize regularly in the second way.  However, "operationalize" is extremely important in class (and in research) as it relates to the first definition.  I am having to re-define "operationalize" for myself so it is used in relation to the first way as opposed to the second; although both are accurate.  This is a very interesting thing, re-defining words, and something I find myself doing more of this semester, this year 2 of the program.  This is hopefully a product of thinking more scientifically and precisely however, I cannot make such causal inferences.



(Also, for some reason when I see the word "language" lately, I've been reading it as "Lagrange" as in Lagrange multipliers.  There's a calculus flashback.  Actually, I know the reason why.)