Formal structure, no matter how loosely defined, is how they corrupt and create distance between people and the true source. Language itself is an artificial construct of man, capable of being manipulated to serve the purposes of those who want to control the range of possible ideas which can be communicated. A forum for the serious discussion of ideas which throws convention out the window represents a direct threat to that system of control.
>you make a bald statement as if there is a 'they' that decides all formal structure.
>
>that is untrue.
>
>structures that work evolve over time within guilds and trades, and no one is 'controlling' that.
>
>you assumptions are false, and thus your narrative is a throw away, and yet you pretend to speak of a 'true source' which, to me, flags you as an intellectual philanderer and charlton.
>
>but I could be wrong as you might not be what I see.
Fair points. I certainly struggle to figure out how to communicate these ideas when they are founded on the premise that language itself is a flawed media. Let me try again without the pretentious tone.
So, as language is an artificial system created by man it is fundamentally capable of perfectly expressing every nuance of our thoughts precisely (else there would be no room for anything else within our minds). Because it is only an approximation of our real ideas, if we create systems in which participation requires us to assert that our words are true representations of who we are, that reduces our sense of self to being less than what we are in reality. This also creates a system in which the worth of one's ideas hinges upon their skill with language rather than the truth of the idea itself.
"They" in this context refers to anyone who fully accepts the notion that a person's words represent their true ideas in actuality, and doesn't even consider the possibility of a deeper world. I believe that helping those people to recognize that there is a greater natural world beyond the limits of human knowledge, and therefore that they themselves are even greater than their own self image, is the foundation of the great awakening. This represents a direct threat to anyone who uses such artificial systems to control a population.
You can't create a system within another system that is capable of exactly representing the system which it is within. You must necessarily create a simplified representation, and therefore you will invariably loose a certain amount of accuracy.
You're conflating practicality with authenticity. I won't argue with you that for the purpose of communication with others it is indeed ideal to simplify, if for no other reason than that it is impossible to perfectly represent our true ideas with words. The question is, can you recognize that there is a gulf between the words that you use and what you really think? If you are unable to recognize that gulf, you will lack the ability to consider ideas which you can't articulate with language.