Words are just one form of communicating, by which I mean the attempt to show the mind of another the ideas and feelings in one's own. We have many additional aids to this, such as voice tone, facial expression, gestures, even visual aids such as photos, films, drawings. But after all, the true joining of two minds is virtually impossible. One is actually very alone inside one's head! But I don't agree that one should just retreat into a hermetic silence. We are social creatures and MUST communicate. We just can't ask for total understanding by the others. I did a course on British Sign Language, and was struck by how limiting it is to be deaf and have only one's gestures to reveal thoughts to another. Yet travelling around Africa, I found I could say quite a lot by a kind touch, a grin or a cross face.