Frequently heard in my youth: “”sticks and stones will break my bones but names will never hurt me.” It was a lie even then, of course. Adults accused of being communists could lose their livelihood, as could people called homosexuals. Not so long ago people labeled heretics or witches could be burned at the stake.
I admit that at times I am annoyed at the “snowflake” generation, who feel one slipped slur can ruin their existence forever. Yet while sometimes overly polite in person or when acting out being politically correct, those same folks are capable of being far more vicious online than the people I knew ever were.
The trouble is that language threads a thin line of civility. Definitions of words often give way to faddish connotations. Today, supposedly, calling someone grossly fat is hurtful and moreover implies fault (eating too much.) “Obese” is considered a less nasty medical term related to disease rather than merit. Yet, honestly, they refer to the same thing.
What I dislike is that, as in many professions, politeness becomes jargon, and jargon hides honesty. Eliminating all the incorrect words and phrases does not really revise how we think. In that, Orwell was wrong. Newspeak quickly gives way to slang when truth is required.
In any society, one must adjust to fashion, even in language. But I wish we could adjust our underlying thoughts instead.
HuntingtonHarborThoughts 