Language and how we specifically say things are huge. It’s why we are big pushing to redefine a host of things now.
We are meant to use “I feel” statements instead of indirectly blaming others with you statements. Using more specific pronouns to avoid little harms that can build up. To say more specific and less derogatory things like unhoused or inclusive things like people of color. It all adds up.
This won’t be the solution or the cure for depression but every little bit helps. If you have depression and are stuck, the making a small differentiation that you FEEL sad instead of BEING sad can be just enough to get you in gear for that day at least. That can be huge.
I read 1984 as a teen, and there’s a huge (dry) section in the middle where Orwell basically does a treatise on language and how it affects behavior, and I remember thinking it was boring and far-fetched.
Nowadays, I understand that it’s the most important aspect of the control in the novel.
The way we speak is so important. Think about when people throw out something like “that movie was bad”, “that restaurant sucks”. That’s making it objective. It ends the conversation. There is no room for improvement or talk at all. In their minds those things are bad and that’s the end of it.
You see this a lot in online communities, especially gaming.
If they instead said “I didn’t like x”, a conversation can be had. Now there is a chance they could like that thing if something we’re adjusted. By changing how we say something we can be open others opinions, to differences we share.
Without a doubt.
Language and how we specifically say things are huge. It’s why we are big pushing to redefine a host of things now.
We are meant to use “I feel” statements instead of indirectly blaming others with you statements. Using more specific pronouns to avoid little harms that can build up. To say more specific and less derogatory things like unhoused or inclusive things like people of color. It all adds up.
This won’t be the solution or the cure for depression but every little bit helps. If you have depression and are stuck, the making a small differentiation that you FEEL sad instead of BEING sad can be just enough to get you in gear for that day at least. That can be huge.
I read 1984 as a teen, and there’s a huge (dry) section in the middle where Orwell basically does a treatise on language and how it affects behavior, and I remember thinking it was boring and far-fetched.
Nowadays, I understand that it’s the most important aspect of the control in the novel.
Exactly.
The way we speak is so important. Think about when people throw out something like “that movie was bad”, “that restaurant sucks”. That’s making it objective. It ends the conversation. There is no room for improvement or talk at all. In their minds those things are bad and that’s the end of it.
You see this a lot in online communities, especially gaming.
If they instead said “I didn’t like x”, a conversation can be had. Now there is a chance they could like that thing if something we’re adjusted. By changing how we say something we can be open others opinions, to differences we share.
Language is powerful.