the assault on vocabulary
Aug 27, 2022 21:51:18 GMT -7
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Post by Ceorlmann on Aug 27, 2022 21:51:18 GMT -7
This is a combination of both personal observations as well as a vent episode. While I understand that languages evolve over time (most obvious example being Old English vs modern English, or even modern English from the 16th century vs of the 20th century) the changing of what words mean today I don't think is any case of evolution of our language, but rather an assault on any vocabulary that people think will get them what they want. The first word I found to be of this case is racism, and all forms of it including the adjective targeted for the individual (i.e. racist). Last I checked the definition of racism is to consider your own race/ethnicity superior to all others. For years now people have used it in place of bigot and/or bigotry; which means to hate a targeted group of people. R. Lee Ermey gave among the best context for bigotry itself in Full Metal Jacket, "There will be no racial bigotry here! (Proceeds to name off all major derogatory racial nicknames)... Here you are all equally worthless!"
The next one I'd argue is toxic leadership. I don't know how often it was addressed for its original purpose, but by the early 2010s there seemed to be a clear definition of it through various actions or non-actions by people in supervisory positions; many or most I'd easily agree with based on just what I've experienced in the Corps. Nowadays the term's definition and context seem to be lost among the youngest generation in a position to get hired for employment. Rather than labeling a leader toxic for things like favoritism, micro-management, taking the credit of an employee's hard work, etc. it seems that anybody can get labeled a toxic leader simply for telling an employee to do something they don't want to do or feel like doing. Mike Rowe made a really good point recently (let's be real though is there any time he hasn't made a good point?) about the current generation about to turn 18 that effectively has no value or willingness to put their hands together and conduct actual honest work; including among the white collar jobs (thought I'd mention this since his talks are usually geared toward how having a blue collar job isn't a bad thing contrary to the education/indoctrination machine's propaganda). Heck, my own family experienced this a few towns over from where we live right now at an Applebee's. First we are immediately viewed as an inconvenience to the whole staff there (all of whom that we saw are clearly at least ten years younger than me and my wife) based on facial and body language, and then we all got put in the bar area which doesn't really work when the kids are all way too small to utilize the high bar chairs. After waiting for a number of minutes when no one even came by to ask what we wanted to drink as a starter we just left. While I like the idea that servers are starting to stand up for themselves when being openly disrespected they have no right to demand that we literally worship the dirty floors they walk on. Even in Europe where being a server is actually viewed as a respectable career, and financially sustainable none of them act that way nor demand of such nonsense (and I would definitely know considering I've been served multiple times at different places in central Europe, and in Japan their enthusiasm to serve a customer is quite visible). Heck, if any of those Applebee's staff tried that at the Knights Restaurant in Vienna they'd have been kicked out the door before I even had a chance to leave.
I've digressed a bit. My point is another side on the assault of our values and education is to render various words meaningless.
The next one I'd argue is toxic leadership. I don't know how often it was addressed for its original purpose, but by the early 2010s there seemed to be a clear definition of it through various actions or non-actions by people in supervisory positions; many or most I'd easily agree with based on just what I've experienced in the Corps. Nowadays the term's definition and context seem to be lost among the youngest generation in a position to get hired for employment. Rather than labeling a leader toxic for things like favoritism, micro-management, taking the credit of an employee's hard work, etc. it seems that anybody can get labeled a toxic leader simply for telling an employee to do something they don't want to do or feel like doing. Mike Rowe made a really good point recently (let's be real though is there any time he hasn't made a good point?) about the current generation about to turn 18 that effectively has no value or willingness to put their hands together and conduct actual honest work; including among the white collar jobs (thought I'd mention this since his talks are usually geared toward how having a blue collar job isn't a bad thing contrary to the education/indoctrination machine's propaganda). Heck, my own family experienced this a few towns over from where we live right now at an Applebee's. First we are immediately viewed as an inconvenience to the whole staff there (all of whom that we saw are clearly at least ten years younger than me and my wife) based on facial and body language, and then we all got put in the bar area which doesn't really work when the kids are all way too small to utilize the high bar chairs. After waiting for a number of minutes when no one even came by to ask what we wanted to drink as a starter we just left. While I like the idea that servers are starting to stand up for themselves when being openly disrespected they have no right to demand that we literally worship the dirty floors they walk on. Even in Europe where being a server is actually viewed as a respectable career, and financially sustainable none of them act that way nor demand of such nonsense (and I would definitely know considering I've been served multiple times at different places in central Europe, and in Japan their enthusiasm to serve a customer is quite visible). Heck, if any of those Applebee's staff tried that at the Knights Restaurant in Vienna they'd have been kicked out the door before I even had a chance to leave.
I've digressed a bit. My point is another side on the assault of our values and education is to render various words meaningless.