Words are not enough to describe ... or are they?

Have you ever heard a person say “words are not enough to express …” and then continue with whatever the subject they are referring to (usually related to love). However I wonder if this is really true or whether this is just a pat phrase used for the sake of hyperbole.

I believe there are two distinct possibilities that may act to invalidate this statement. They serve as explanations to perhaps suggest why words actually are enough in many instances, or at least could be enough given the right circumstances.

1. We don’t have the words (vocabulary) to express what is actually expressible in words.
2. We have the words in our vocabulary but we don’t really understand what they mean.

I suppose there is a third possibility also that one might say supports the statement in question, and that would be that a word (or number of words) have not been invented to explain a particular thing. Of course, with that being the case we simply invent a word to describe what that is, which was previously inexplicable.

As an ultimate statement the phrase “words are not enough” may very well be false in the majority of cases it is used. As a truth statement it borders on arrogance because there may very well exist words that are more than sufficient to explain it. It is akin to saying that you know that God does not exist anywhere in this universe. Of course unless you had been to every point in the entire universe, you could never truthfully say such an absolute. On the contrary, one single instance of proof, invalidates the entire opposite argument. A more honest statement would begin with “I don’t have the words to express …”.

The problem ultimately comes down to the ability of the speaker to communicate effectively the concept or emotion that they hold in their mind or heart.

Take the following example.

If I were to say to a child “God is an omnipotent and omniscient deity” the words would mean nothing unless that particular child had a firm grasp and understanding of the words “omniscient”, “omnipotent”, and “deity”. Of course the child may very well have an understanding of these attributes of God, yet may not understand the words being used.

Taking the child’s perspective in attempting to communicate this truth, and you would find that he would struggle with the right words to say. He may attempt it by saying something like the following.

“God is the most powerful thing in the universe and he knows everything”

Even after saying this he might add that “words are not enough” to express what he is really trying to say.

What I am pointing out in this instance is that for describing someone or something, often words actually are entirely sufficient. You can explain what God is like by saying that he is “slow to anger and abounding in love, a compassionate and forgiving God, a God who is just and righteous and full of glory and majesty”. In fact such a description could go on for many pages alone and each and every word would add to the listeners understanding of who God is, as long as the words used are understood to mean the same thing to both the speaker and the hearer. After all, how can you explain the colour yellow to someone who was blind from birth?