Matt Fradd

I don't want to be controlled completely by my circumstances.

Gee, I don't know whether people will remember me after I'm dead, the guy says.

Well, of course all that's true.

The idea that you can make up your own meanings for things completely from scratch is wrong.

Well, all right.

Suppose that I was once eating a sardine sandwich when I saw some children playing at the playground, and so I associate the flavor of sardines with children playing at the playground, and I say, that's my meaning.

For me, the meaning of children playing is the flavor of sardines.

Well, that's ridiculous, of course.

Of course, that may mean what it means to me, quote unquote, but that's not just what it means.

That's not just what it means.

Now, obviously, I can assign some significance to something.

I can say, death means a ride on a merry-go-round.

And so people think, since I can assign a significance to it, that means that's all there is.

But it doesn't follow from that that that is the underlying meaning, that that's what it has.

Take, I slap you in the face.

There's no way to make that mean affection.

I can use a kiss to betray somebody and its normal meaning is affection, but the only reason I can use a kiss to betray, the only reason it is effective is because it does normally mean

affection.

So no, we can't make up our own meanings.

Now, the guy mixes it up with all these other things that have nothing to do with the idea of making up your own meaning, like whether people will remember him after he's dead, or whether he should be afraid of other people's opinions, or whether he should put off making important decisions.