How to Use Words with Maximum Impact (Pros and Cons of Vocabulary Vigilantes)

Image by Bing Copilot AI. Prompt: create an image of a smooth cool jazz trumpet player along on a stage in a spotlight in a dark nightclub. There is a stream of letters coming out of his trumpet

There’s this interesting video where a girl asks why we call something “man-made” ( here) when women were also a part of its construction.

Many explode with rage over the suggestion that we alter or update our language. I’m not one of them. People who rage at the idea that we use a new word are annoying.

Equally irritating are those who attack anyone who fails to use the most modern terms. The rules of vocabulary are ever-shifting and agreed-upon by unofficial consensus of … who knows?

I don’t agree with either extreme. Language is an art and is always inexact. It’s clumsy and messy. Rarely does someone use it with laser-like precision. Rarer still, does someone use with adherence to the human rights and history, etc. One could argue that any popular language is by default the tongue of a conqueror.

Then there’s context. Context is king. Who is speaking? To whom? Where? What’s the goal? Speed? Accuracy? The environment? Formal? Casual? So many variables come into play.

Context is the Forest, Words are the Trees

I experienced the power of context during a recent trip to Mexico, where I attempted to speak Spanish. I use an app to practice. It’s challenging and…