"How many men, do you suppose, realise the limitations of using words to convey our meanings? They may find that there are inconvenient misunderstandings, and blame language, but how many admit that the words are just a substitute for the thing they really lack—mental communication? Precious few. My point is that they do not realise the lack of direct mental communication, because they've never had it. They look on spoken or written language as a natural method of expression, whereas it is really a mechanical process [...]"
John Wyndham

January 1, 1970

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Original Language: English

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Pt. II, Ch. II - p.65

https://en.wikiquote.org/wiki/John_Wyndham