3 Ideas in 2 Minutes on Euphemistic Thinking
3 Ideas in 2 Minutes on Euphemistic Thinking
The Purpose of Euphemisms, Euphemism Treadmill & an Imaginative Leap
I. The Purpose of Euphemisms
Collateral damage, pushing forward into rearward space and tactical patience. Compare that to civilian casualties, retreat and doing nothing. Euphemisms such as those used in warfare make things sound more pleasant and socially acceptable.
Some may seem innocent. But the worst linguistic offenders try to hide or obfuscate uncomfortable truths. Here’s George Orwell getting to the heart of the issue:
Such phraseology is needed if one wants to name things without calling up mental pictures of them.
II. Euphemism Treadmill
The Euphemism Treadmill describes a phenomenon in which a once acceptable euphemism is replaced with a new one. Why? Because the new expression itself has fallen in disrepute. This seemingly pointless language change can go on for centuries.
Toilet is an 18th-century euphemism, replacing the older euphemism house of office, which replaced the even older euphemisms privy-house and bog-house.
Source: Wiktionary
The term's origins can be traced back to a The New York Times Op-Ed The Game of the Name by cognitive psychologist Steven Pinker.
III. An Imaginative Leap
There’s obviously a demand for synonyms of words and phrases people perceive as too harsh or blunt. Especially when we aim to communicate the way political consultant Frank Luntz suggests:
You can have the best message in the world, but the person on the receiving end will always understand it through the prism of his or her own emotions, preconceptions, prejudices, and preexisting beliefs. It's not enough to be correct or reasonable or even brilliant.
The key to successful communication is to take the imaginative leap of stuffing yourself into your listener's shoes to know what they are thinking and feeling in the deepest recesses of their mind and heart. How that person perceives what you say is even more real, at least in a practical sense, than how you perceive yourself.
—Frank Luntz, Words That Work: It's Not What You Say, It's What People Hear
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Have a great week,
Chris
themindcollection.com
