Comment by harrall
14 hours ago
Words don’t have precise meanings either.
“He has completed the task.”
versus
“He pulled it off.”
Their meanings are the same but their both have different subtext.
Emojis are simply additional levers for subtext. It’s like using a red hot colors versus cool colors for a poster — the text might be the same but the colors provide an additional way to signal subtext.
The more options, the better.
It is the precision of language that allows you to distinguish the subtext of those two sentences.
But by that line of thinking, it’s the same with emojis. There is a subtly to which ones you use and when.
You don’t just put the same laugh emoji every time it’s funny…
I think there is a difference: with emojis, only the sender knows the precise meaning. Words have agreed on definitions.