What you're likely referring to is the expression of attitudes. And it's true that attitudes are more often expressed through spoken language than written language for several reasons:
* Spontaneity: Spoken language is more spontaneous and less carefully considered than written language. It allows for immediate reactions and expressions of feelings without the delay of writing. This makes it a more natural outlet for expressing attitudes, especially fleeting emotions.
* Context: Spoken language relies heavily on context and nonverbal cues to convey meaning. This includes facial expressions, tone of voice, body language, and the surrounding environment. These elements help to clarify and enhance the expression of attitudes. Written language is less nuanced in this way.
* Social Interaction: Spoken language is primarily a tool for social interaction. We use it to build relationships, negotiate, persuade, and share our feelings with others. Therefore, it makes sense that attitudes, which are often tied to these social interactions, would be primarily expressed verbally.
* Flexibility: Spoken language is more flexible than written language. We can adjust our tone, volume, and pace to emphasize certain points or to convey different attitudes. This flexibility allows us to fine-tune our expression and to react to the listener's response in real time.
However, attitudes can also be expressed through written language:
* Tone and Style: While lacking the immediacy of spoken language, writing can still convey attitude through choice of words, sentence structure, punctuation, and even formatting.
* Content: The specific information chosen to be written can also reveal an attitude. For example, the use of certain vocabulary, the focus on specific details, or the omission of certain information can all signal an underlying attitude.
Ultimately, it's more accurate to say that spoken language is a more common and often more effective way to express attitudes due to its spontaneous nature, reliance on context, and suitability for social interaction. But attitudes can certainly be expressed through writing as well.