Posted BY: Jeremy Egerer
Some people say using your mind makes you “reasonable” — but most people, I think, use their minds to chase what they want. This would explain the arguments that go nowhere, the evidence that gets buried; the mistakes that are never retracted, the discussions that turn into loose words and slander, and the armies of pundits and “experts” overwhelming us with talking points we can’t verify, or oftentimes even remember, but the conclusions we agree with. The women who say, “But why are you yelling” when you’re winning and you’re not yelling.
In the public sphere, we’re less likely to be scientists than to be plaintiffs or defendants. We pick a path in life and then put our brains into chasing it, and then try to justify it. Our cultures, our tastes, our levels of wealth and intelligence lead us one way or another, and when we find our way, we fight for it. Some of us are right, and others are wrong; some are honest, and others are fakes. All of us are invested.
Trending: Return of the Great MAGA King
This might explain why so many good words have been ruined lately. Words are only tools, after all — and if they were created by our ancestors, they can be deranged by our grandchildren. A new ruling class with a new plan for society means new ways of thinking about things and new ways to talk about them. New words are almost impossible to make popular, so we take old and popular words and twist them. Listed below are several words I miss, which have completely new (and many times opposite) meanings…and tell us a lot about the people who run things.
