George Carlin - Euphemisms
Summary
TLDRThe speaker critiques the evolution of language, noting how terms have become increasingly euphemistic and detached from reality over time. From 'shell shock' to 'post-traumatic stress disorder,' the speaker illustrates how military jargon has sanitized the harsh realities of war. Similarly, everyday language has shifted towards more palatable but less honest terms, such as 'bathroom tissue' instead of 'toilet paper.' The speaker argues that this linguistic shift reflects a broader societal tendency to avoid直面 harsh truths and sanitize uncomfortable realities, ultimately suggesting that such euphemisms are a form of self-deception that fails to address underlying issues.
Takeaways
- 🔧 The language used to describe combat-related stress has evolved from 'shell shock' to 'post-traumatic stress disorder', reflecting a trend towards more euphemistic and less impactful terms.
- 🗣️ The speaker critiques the softening of language in various contexts, suggesting it's a way to detract from the harsh realities of life, such as war, death, and social issues.
- 🏥 Changes in terminology, like 'toilet paper' to 'bathroom tissue', are seen as examples of how language is sanitized to avoid direct or negative connotations.
- 🏢 The speaker points out that corporate and bureaucratic language often obscures the truth or reality of situations, using terms like 'neutralize' instead of 'kill' to make actions seem less severe.
- 👴 The fear of aging is evident in the way society rebrands older individuals as 'senior citizens' or '90 years young', avoiding the直面 term 'old'.
- 🏢 The speaker argues that changing the name of a condition or situation doesn't change its reality, criticizing the practice of using positive-sounding terms to mask negative circumstances.
- 💼 The language of business and management often involves dehumanizing terms, such as 'redundancies' for layoffs, which the speaker finds distasteful.
- 🌐 The speaker notes the global impact of this trend, with examples from the U.S., but implies it's a widespread phenomenon affecting how we communicate about serious issues.
- 👥 The speaker suggests that the use of soft language is a tool used by those in power to conceal their actions, such as the CIA's use of 'neutralize' instead of 'kill'.
- 🌐 The trend towards more complex and less direct language is seen across various domains, from healthcare to social services, indicating a broader societal shift.
Q & A
What was the term used to describe the condition where a combatant's nervous system is stressed to its maximum during the First World War?
-The term used was 'shell shock'.
How did the term for the combat stress condition evolve from the Second World War to the Korean War?
-It evolved from 'battle fatigue' during the Second World War to 'operational exhaustion' during the Korean War.
What term is used to describe the combat stress condition in the context of the Vietnam War, and how does it reflect a change in language?
-The term used is 'post-traumatic stress disorder' (PTSD), which reflects a shift towards more clinical and less emotionally charged language.
Why does the speaker believe that changing the language used to describe certain conditions or situations can be problematic?
-The speaker believes that changing the language can sanitize or conceal the reality of the situation, making it seem less severe or less human.
Give an example of how the speaker illustrates the trend of using more euphemistic language over time.
-The speaker points out that 'toilet paper' became 'bathroom tissue', 'sneakers' became 'running shoes', and 'false teeth' became 'dental appliances'.
What does the speaker suggest is the underlying reason for the shift towards more sterile and less direct language in describing various situations?
-The speaker suggests that the shift is a function of time and is used to conceal or soften the reality of the situations, often by those in power or authority.
How does the speaker feel about the term 'senior citizen' and why?
-The speaker has accepted 'senior citizen' as it is here to stay, but implies that it is a bloodless and lifeless term that lacks the pulse of the word 'old'.
What is the speaker's opinion on the use of the term '90 years young' instead of simply saying someone is 90 years old?
-The speaker finds the use of '90 years young' to be a reflection of the fear of aging and an unnecessary euphemism that avoids using the word 'old'.
What does the speaker think about the trend of changing the names of conditions or situations to sound less negative?
-The speaker is critical of this trend, arguing that changing the name does not change the condition and that it is a form of self-deception.
Can you provide an example of how the speaker criticizes the use of certain terms in the context of employment and management?
-The speaker criticizes the use of terms like 'fired' being replaced with 'no longer viable members of the workforce' or 'management wanted to curtail redundancies in the human resources area' as a way to conceal the reality of job loss.
Outlines
🗣️ The Evolution of Euphemisms in Language
The speaker discusses the evolution of language and how it has become more euphemistic over time, particularly in the context of war and combat. They provide a historical progression of terms used to describe a combatant's nervous breakdown, starting with 'shell shock' in WWI, moving to 'battle fatigue' in WWII, 'operational exhaustion' in the Korean War, and finally 'post-traumatic stress disorder' in the Vietnam War. The speaker argues that as the language becomes more complex and less direct, it distances us from the harsh realities it describes. They also touch on how this trend extends to everyday language, giving examples such as 'toilet paper' becoming 'bathroom tissue' and 'car crashes' becoming 'automobile accidents', suggesting that this shift in language is a way for society to sanitize and avoid confronting uncomfortable truths.
😓 The Impact of Euphemisms on Society
In the second paragraph, the speaker continues to critique the use of euphemisms, focusing on how they affect societal perceptions and attitudes. They discuss the renaming of various societal issues and groups, such as 'crippled' to 'physically challenged' and 'old people' to 'senior citizens', suggesting that these terms are an attempt to mask or sugarcoat the realities of life. The speaker also criticizes the fear of aging and death reflected in phrases like '90 years young' and the medicalization of natural processes, such as 'passing away' or 'expiring'. They argue that this sanitization of language is a form of self-deception and a way for society to avoid confronting the inevitable aspects of life, ultimately leading to a disconnect from reality.
Mindmap
Keywords
💡Shell Shock
💡Battle Fatigue
💡Operational Exhaustion
💡Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD)
💡Euphemism
💡Economically Disadvantaged
💡Healthcare Delivery Professional
💡Wellness Center
💡Physically Challenged
💡Senior Citizens
💡Negative Patient Care Outcome
Highlights
The progression of language used to describe combat stress, from 'shell shock' to 'post-traumatic stress disorder', reflects a trend towards more euphemistic and less direct terminology.
The term 'shell shock' from WWI is compared to 'battle fatigue' from WWII, illustrating a softening of language over time.
The Korean War saw the term 'operational exhaustion', further extending the syllable count and removing the human element from the condition's description.
The Vietnam War introduced 'post-traumatic stress disorder', adding a hyphen and burying the pain under jargon.
The speaker suggests that using the term 'shell-shocked' might have garnered more attention for Vietnam veterans.
The language used to describe everyday items and situations has also become more euphemistic, such as 'bathroom tissue' instead of 'toilet paper'.
The term 'sneakers' evolved to 'running shoes', reflecting a shift in language that distances from the original, more direct term.
The speaker criticizes the use of 'operational exhaustion', likening it to a car issue rather than a human condition.
The language of business and management has also shifted towards more sterile terms, such as 'fired' becoming 'curtailed redundancies'.
The speaker points out the absurdity of using 'sunshine units' to measure nuclear radiation by the Pentagon.
The use of 'commandos' for Israeli forces and 'terrorists' for Arab forces highlights the biased language used in describing similar actions.
The speaker mocks the airline industry's use of 'pre-board' as an unnecessary complication of simple language.
The term 'physically challenged' is criticized as an evasion of the straightforward term 'crippled'.
The speaker resists the term 'senior citizens' as a bloodless replacement for 'old people'.
The fear of aging is discussed, with the speaker noting the reluctance to use the word 'old' and the preference for '90 years young'.
The speaker laments the use of 'pass away' or 'expire' instead of the more direct 'die', reflecting a societal fear of death.
The language used in hospitals and insurance companies to describe death is criticized for its euphemistic and detached nature.
The speaker concludes by expressing a desire for more honest and direct language, rather than the euphemisms that pervade modern speech.
Transcripts
it's worse with every generation for
some reason it just keeps getting worse
I'll give you an example of that there's
a condition in combat most people know
about it it's when a fighting person's
nervous system has been stressed to its
absolute peak and maximum can't take
anymore input the nervous system has
either snapped or is about to snap in
the First World War that condition was
called shell shock simple honest direct
language two syllables shell-shocked
almost sounds like the guns themselves
that was 70 years ago then a whole
generation went by and the Second World
War came along and we the very same
combat condition was called battle
fatigue four syllables now takes a
little longer to say doesn't seem to
hurt as much fatigue is a nicer word
than shock shell shock battle fatigue
then we had the war in Korea 1950
Madison Avenue was riding high by that
time and the very same combat condition
was called operational exhaustion hey
we're up to eight syllables now and the
humanity has been squeezed completely
out of the phrase it's totally sterile
now operational exhaustion sounds like
something that might happen to your car
then of course came the war in Vietnam
which has only been over for about 16 or
17 years and thanks to the lies and
deceits surrounding that war I guess
it's no surprise that the very same
condition was called post-traumatic
stress disorder still eight syllables
but we've added a hyphen and the pain is
completely buried under jargon
post-traumatic stress disorder I'll
betcha if we'd have still been calling a
shell-shocked some of those Vietnam
veterans might have gotten the attention
they needed at the time
what
but it didn't happen and one of the
reasons one of the reasons is because we
were using that soft language that
language 2 takes the life out of life
and it is a function of time it does
keep getting worse give another example
sometime during my life sometime during
my lifetime --it became bathroom tissue
I wasn't notified of this
no one asked me if I agreed with it it
just happened toilet paper became
bathroom tissue sneakers became running
shoes false teeth became dental
appliances medicine became medication
information became directory assistance
but don't became the landfill
car crashes became automobile accidents
partly cloudy became partly sunny motels
became Motor lodges house trailers
became mobile homes used cars became
previously owned transportation room
service became guest room dining and
constipation became occasional
irregularity when I was a little kid if
I got sick they wanted me to go to the
hospital and see the doctor now they
want me to go to a health maintenance
organization or a Wellness Center to
consult a healthcare delivery
professional poor people used to live in
slums
now the economically disadvantaged
occupies substandard housing in the
inner cities and they're broke they're
broke they don't have a negative cash
flow position they're [ __ ] bro
because a lot of them were fired you
know fired management wanted to curtail
redundancies in the human resources area
so many people are no longer viable
members of the workforce smug greedy
well-fed white people have invented a
language to conceal their sins it's as
simple as that the CIA doesn't kill
anybody anymore they neutralize people
or they depopulate the area the
government doesn't lie and engages in
disinformation the Pentagon actually
measures nuclear radiation and something
they call sunshine units Israeli
murderers are called commandos Arab
commandos are called terrorists contra
killers are called freedom fighters well
if crime fighter's fight crime and
firefighters fight fire what do freedom
fighters fight they never mentioned that
part of it to us do they
never mention that part
and some of this stuff is just silly we
know we all know that like on the
airline's they say they want a pre-board
what the hell is pre-board what does
that mean to get on before you get on
they say they're going to pre-board
those passengers in need of special
assistance cripples simple honest direct
language there's no shame attached to
the word [ __ ] that I can find in any
dictionary no shame attached to it in
fact it's a word used in Bible
translations jesus healed the cripples
doesn't take seven words to describe
that condition but we don't have any
cripples in this country anymore we have
the physically challenged is that a
grotesque enough evasion for you how
about differently-abled
I've heard them called that
differently-abled
you can't even call these people
handicapped anymore they'll say we're
not handicapped
we're handi-capable these poor people
have been bullshitted by the system into
believing that if you change the name of
the condition somehow you'll change the
condition well hey cousin doesn't happen
doesn't happen
we have no more deaf people in this
country hearing-impaired
no one's blind anymore partially sighted
or visually impaired we have no more
stupid people everybody has a learning
disorder or he's minimally exceptional
how would you like to be told that about
your child
he's minimally exceptional well thank
God for that
psychologists actually have started
calling ugly people those with severe
appearance deficits it's getting so bad
that any day now I expect to hear a rape
victim referred to as an unwilling sperm
recipient
and we have no more old people in this
country no more old people we ship them
all away and we brought in these senior
citizens
isn't that a typically American
twentieth-century phrase bloodless
lifeless no pulse in one of them a
senior citizen but I've accepted that
one have come to terms with it I know
it's here to stay
we'll never get rid of it that's what
they're going to be called so I'll relax
on that but the one I do resist the one
I keep resisting is when they look at an
old guy and they'll say look at him Dan
he's 90 years young imagine the fear of
Aging that reveals to not even be able
to use the word old to describe someone
to have to use than antonym and fear of
aging is natural its universal isn't it
we all have that no one wants to get old
no one wants to die but we do so we
[ __ ] ourselves
I started bullshitting myself when I got
to my 40s soon as I was in my 40s I'd
look in the mirror and I'd say well I I
guess I'm getting older older sounds a
little better than old doesn't it sounds
like it might even last a little longer
[ __ ] I'm getting old and it's okay
because thanks to our fear of death in
this country I won't have to die
I'll pass away
or I'll expire like a magazine
subscription
it happens in the hospital they'll call
it a terminal episode the insurance
company will refer to it as a negative
patient care outcome and if it's the
result of malpractice they'll say it was
a therapeutic misadventure I'm telling
you some of this language makes me wanna
vomit
well maybe not vomit makes me want to
engage in an involuntary personal
protein spill
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