But when I ask the question, I am asking for the shadow underneath the syntax.
"What do you mean?"
To ask "What do you mean" is to admit a failure of telepathy. We cannot plug our minds into one another; we have to rely on these crude grunts and mouth-shapes called words. And words are leaky vessels. They spill the essence and keep the shell. what do you mean
I am asking: Are you trying to hurt me? I am asking: Is this a negotiation or a goodbye? I am asking: Do you mean the truth, or do you mean the version of the truth that lets you sleep tonight? But when I ask the question, I am
There are various types of meaning that can be distinguished, including: But when I ask the question