I’ve seen a few post using that construction when the “It” has not capacity to want at all. They have prompted a question in my own approach to thinking about things.
First, I am not critiquing the posts or otherwise suggesting a problem with them, though that could be inferred so want to put that disclaimer up front. I do think there is a place for the use of such a rhetorical device. I also think there is a place for expressing what might be incomplete thoughts. Moreover, I don’t think the specific word is the concern either—this is not about computers, or viruses, or even perhaps plants “wanting” something.
The questions is should we generally take pause when we find ourselves using that type of rhetoric to ask if we are perhaps trying to work from an incorrect or seriously deficient map to navigate the territory we’re trying to traverse?
In other words, should we use that as a marker to come back to and try to express conditions or functional structure more precisely, or at least confirm it really was a harmless short cut via language to get the idea across (and the idea is not dependent on the rhetoric).
[Question] It “wanted” …
I’ve seen a few post using that construction when the “It” has not capacity to want at all. They have prompted a question in my own approach to thinking about things.
First, I am not critiquing the posts or otherwise suggesting a problem with them, though that could be inferred so want to put that disclaimer up front. I do think there is a place for the use of such a rhetorical device. I also think there is a place for expressing what might be incomplete thoughts. Moreover, I don’t think the specific word is the concern either—this is not about computers, or viruses, or even perhaps plants “wanting” something.
The questions is should we generally take pause when we find ourselves using that type of rhetoric to ask if we are perhaps trying to work from an incorrect or seriously deficient map to navigate the territory we’re trying to traverse?
In other words, should we use that as a marker to come back to and try to express conditions or functional structure more precisely, or at least confirm it really was a harmless short cut via language to get the idea across (and the idea is not dependent on the rhetoric).