There is an important difference though between this ordinary mental laziness, and the sterile prefabricated language which is becoming so common today. Our everyday speech develops, by and large, out of our simple and spontaneous meetings with other individuals, at work, school, in the family or whatever. As a result, there will be a tremendous variety of expression, corresponding to the variety of personalities we encounter from day to day, the type of work we do, and the sort of people who might influence us in our thinking. If, for example, we have a deep affection or admiration for a particular individual, we will often pick up on their mannerisms or turns of phrase. This sort of human exchange is part of the natural process of assimilating language to our personality.
Language is a vital part of our life's work in shaping our own nature.
As Shakespeare understood perhaps better than anybody else, the words we use are as much about our dialogue with ourselves and the determination of our own character as they are about conveying our thoughts and sentiments to others. Sterile language is a very different business. This language is the outcome not of spontaneous human exchange, but of bureaucratic procedure and business formula. Ordinary language may be unexceptional most of the time, but at least it is alive and open to the influence of personality. It can become something more than pure words as it is beaten into the shape of millions of different personalities.