On Being Embodied

One of the most constitutive aspects of our existence is our embodiment, that is, simply the fact that we are creatures that live with physical bodies. (For those who have a microscopic eye, and a mind corrupted by philosophy, I report that I shall not comment further in this post on that small preposition 'with' which can potentially open up a can of worms.) Because we are embodied beings, our daily conversation is filled with corporeal metaphors which we routinely use almost unthinkingly. Here are some of them :

(a) No, really, that was such a lame argument!

(b) I don't think Edward can stand up to Mary after what he has done.

(c) She has consistently maintained an upright moral position on this issue.

(d) Within hours of his arrival at Cawnpore, Sir Havelock Ellis was able to grasp the complexity of the situation.

In such cases, we forget the original contexts of these bodily metaphors (such as a lame man on crutches) and use them liberally in situations which are not directly concerned with the body (an argument, a position or a situation, as in the above examples). That is, what is popularly called body-language can express distinctive emotions that will take us pages to describe or condense in words, and even then we shall perhaps miss the mark completely. When someone says, 'Oh my! You know what? You should have seen the way she blushed at his words!', it would perhaps defy the imagination of even an accomplished poet to explain what that means in just 'so many words'.