Looking at the past retrospectively can reveal the true worth of many things

Question

Please correct the given sentence:Looking at the past retrospectively can reveal the true worth of many things - people we have met, things done, relationships, and most importantly, your very own self.

Cool Breeze · Accepted Answer

I find nothing wrong with it.

CB

Jackson6612 · Answer

Hi CB

Is the use of word 'things' justified here? Can people be regarded as things? I hope you understand what is troubling me.

Thanks for the help.

Cool Breeze · Answer

... things [that we have] done... People are not regarded as things in the sentence.

CB

Jackson6612 · Answer

Looking at the past retrospectively can reveal the true worth of many things - people we have met, things done, relationships, and most importantly, your very own self.

The speaker first says, 'can reveal the true worth of many things', and then goes on to explain what things he is possibly referring to... Then, doesn't it seem 'people' are regarded as 'things'? I'm not saying the sentence is wrong - I'm just alluding to the fact that sometimes things get messes up when seen very closely. 'people we have met', I believe the speaker here is not talking about the 'physical' beings of those individuals rather their intangible aspects such as their nature, what kind person they were, in short their inner psychological being. I just checked M-W entry on 'http://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/thing', it can mean invidual in some constructions, 8th definition. What do you say? Please let me know.

Clive · Answer

Hi,

Please correct the given sentence:

Looking at the past retrospectively can reveal the true worth of many things - people we have met, things done, relationships, and most importantly, our ~~your~~ very own selves ~~self~~.

Looking at the past retrospectively This seems redundant. How else can you look at the past?

Clive

Jackson6612 · Answer

CliveLooking at the past retrospectively This seems redundant. How else can you look at the past?

Hi

Sometimes, redundancy is on purpose - used to add more meaning, enhance the quality, feeling, and sometimes to serve the role of an intensifier. I recall once I created a thread on this issue - a quote from some novel prompted this. By using 'retrospectively', the speaker is giving the sense of looking at the things objectively from a critical point of view. This is just my humble opinion. Please let me know your take on this.

Best wishes
Jack

Clive · Answer

Hi,

I don't disagree.

Clive

Jackson6612 · Answer

Thanks a lot for letting me know this!

Jackson6612 · Answer

Hi

Question 1:
Please consider the following sentence:
I wander, seeking peace, and ensuing it.

As this question is also about redundancy, so it's better to continue it here.

Here 'wander' stands for general habit, desire in the present circumstances. The meanings of 'seeking' and 'ensuing' overlap to some degree. Is it redundancy? Perhaps, to some degree. The rephrasing of it can clarify the things a bit: I wander/roam, looking for peace, and trying to attain it at any cost. Or, consider this, I wander the streets searching for my long lost lover, friend, benefeactor, looking to embrace him.

I think 'ensuing' adds to the determination of the writer, purity and warmth of his desire. What do you say on this? Please let me know.

Question 2:
Here is another example:
a dragged-out ordeal of...desultory shopping

'dragged-out', 'ordeal', and 'desultory' have overlapping meanings.

Is it a phrase or sentence? Does it make complete sense it itself as it is? Perhaps, it is up to one's own discretion to decide this. One can argue it is preceded by understood fragment 'I have been'.

Best wishes
Jack

Clive · Answer

Hi,

Question 1:

Please consider the following sentence:

I wander, seeking peace, and ensuing it.

I think you misunderstand the verb 'ensue'. It's an intransitive verb, meaning loosely 'happen after something or as a result of something'. So, the way you have used it does not seem to make sense.

As this question is also about redundancy, so it's better to continue it here.

Here 'wander' stands for general habit, desire in the present circumstances. The meanings of 'seeking' and 'ensuing' overlap to some degree. Is it redundancy? Perhaps, to some degree. The rephrasing of it can clarify the things a bit: I wander/roam, looking for peace, and trying to attain it at any cost. Or, consider this, I wander the streets searching for my long lost lover, friend, benefeactor, looking to embrace him.

I think 'ensuing' adds to the determination of the writer, purity and warmth of his desire. What do you say on this? Please let me know.

Question 2:

Here is another example:

a dragged-out ordeal of...desultory shopping

I think you may perhaps misunderstand the word 'desultory'. It means, loosely speaking, "disconnected, random, occasional". It does not seem to fit a shopping experience that is a'dragged-out ordeal".

'dragged-out', 'ordeal', and 'desultory' have overlapping meanings.

Is it a phrase or sentence? It's a phrase. Does it make complete sense it itself as it is? No.

Perhaps, it is up to one's own discretion to decide this. One can argue it is preceded by understood fragment 'I have been'. I don't see why that would be understood.

I think you need to choose new words.

Clive

Looking at the past retrospectively can reveal the true worth of many things

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