.. the unity of a word which is not itself present but instead represents, as it were, the configuration of its various nuances and possibilities of meaning: an Idea in Benjamin's sense of the word.
The 'meaning' of the word is not directly present before us, nor held in the Dictionary's safe deposit box; we do not scratch the surface of the word to glimpse the meaning within, for its meaning lies 'outside' it in its potential couplings and usages and relations.
... similarly, a person is defined by his or her relations, which always await definition; no amount of intent introspection will allow us to see what is only visible in our commerce with the world.
Posts marked 'index card' are literally notes found on some index cards I was sorting through last night. Often it is unclear what is being quoted and from where - the cards are perhaps 10 yrs old.
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