George Carlin on soft language

Summary

The speaker passionately criticizes the use of euphemisms in American English, arguing that they obscure reality and reflect a discomfort with facing the truth. They trace the evolution of terms for combat stress from 'shell shock' to 'post-traumatic stress disorder,' illustrating how language has become increasingly sterile and detached from the harshness of the conditions described. The talk also covers other examples of euphemistic language in various aspects of life, from medical to social terms, suggesting that this linguistic trend sanitizes and distances us from the rawness of human experience.

Takeaways

• 🗣️ The speaker dislikes euphemisms and believes they obscure reality, particularly in American English.
• 🌐 The language used to describe combat stress has evolved from 'shell shock' to 'post-traumatic stress disorder', reflecting a trend towards more euphemistic terms.
• 🔁 Each generation seems to adopt softer language to describe harsh realities, as evidenced by the changing terms for combat stress.
• 🏥 Everyday language also becomes more euphemistic over time, with terms like 'toilet paper' becoming 'bathroom tissue' and 'car crashes' becoming 'automobile accidents'.
• 🏢 Corporate and institutional language often strips away the human element, using terms like 'healthcare delivery professional' instead of 'doctor'.
• 💼 The speaker criticizes the use of euphemisms in business and management, such as 'fired' becoming 'curtailed redundancies'.
• 🔫 In politics and conflict, euphemisms are used to sanitize violent actions, like 'neutralize' instead of 'kill'.
• 🌉 The speaker mocks the absurdity of some euphemisms, suggesting they are a form of self-deception and societal denial.
• 👴 Aging and death are subjects that society avoids directly, using terms like 'senior citizens' and 'passing away' instead of直面老化和死亡.
• 🤢 The speaker expresses strong distaste for the euphemistic language, suggesting it can be nauseating and dishonest.

Q & A

What is the speaker's opinion on euphemisms in American English?

The speaker dislikes euphemisms and believes that American English is loaded with them, which are used to conceal reality and protect people from facing the truth.

How does the speaker illustrate the evolution of language to soften the impact of war-related conditions?

The speaker provides a historical progression from 'shell shock' in WWI to 'post-traumatic stress disorder' in the Vietnam War, showing how the language has become more euphemistic and detached from the harsh realities it describes.

What is the speaker's view on the use of 'bathroom tissue' instead of 'toilet paper'?

The speaker sees the change from 'toilet paper' to 'bathroom tissue' as an unnecessary and deceptive shift in language that attempts to sanitize or beautify everyday terms.

Why does the speaker believe that changing the term for certain conditions doesn't change the conditions themselves?

The speaker argues that changing the name of a condition doesn't alter its reality, and that people are being misled into thinking that linguistic changes can have a positive impact on the actual issues.

What does the speaker think about the term 'physically challenged' as opposed to 'crippled'?

The speaker finds the term 'physically challenged' to be a grotesque evasion of the truth and prefers the straightforward language of 'crippled', which he believes carries no inherent shame.

How does the speaker feel about the phrase 'senior citizens'?

While the speaker has accepted 'senior citizens' as a term that will persist, he still resists it, seeing it as a bloodless and lifeless phrase that lacks the reality of aging.

What is the speaker's stance on the use of '90 years young' to describe an elderly person?

The speaker criticizes the use of '90 years young' as it reveals a fear of aging and an attempt to avoid the reality of old age.

Why does the speaker find the language used by certain institutions and groups to be problematic?

The speaker finds the language used by institutions and groups to be problematic because it often serves to conceal the truth, mislead, or sanitize reality, which he believes is dishonest and harmful.

What examples does the speaker give of how language has changed to make harsh realities more palatable?

The speaker gives examples such as 'the dump' becoming 'the landfill', 'car crashes' becoming 'automobile accidents', and 'poor people' becoming 'economically disadvantaged', showing how language has evolved to soften the impact of these realities.

How does the speaker feel about the trend of using more complex terms to describe conditions or situations?

The speaker is critical of this trend, arguing that it removes the humanity and直面 the reality of the situations, making them sound more sterile and less impactful.

Outlines

00:00

🗣️ The Erosion of Honest Language

The speaker expresses a strong dislike for euphemisms and the trend in American English to use soft language that obscures reality. They argue that this trend is worsening with each generation. The speaker provides a historical example of how the term for a combat stress reaction has evolved from 'shell shock' in WWI to 'battle fatigue' in WWII, 'operational exhaustion' in the Korean War, and finally to 'post-traumatic stress disorder' in the Vietnam War. This progression illustrates a move away from direct and honest language to more sterile and less impactful terms. The speaker suggests that this linguistic shift could have real-world consequences, such as affecting how veterans receive attention and care.

05:02

😅 Euphemisms and the Fear of Directness

Continuing the theme of language that avoids直面 reality, the speaker humorously critiques the use of euphemisms in everyday language, pointing out how terms have changed over time to sound more palatable but less honest. Examples include 'toilet paper' to 'bathroom tissue,' 'sneakers' to 'running shoes,' and 'false teeth' to 'dental appliances.' The speaker also addresses societal euphemisms, such as referring to the poor as 'economically disadvantaged' and old people as 'senior citizens.' They argue that this language is a form of self-deception and a way to avoid confronting uncomfortable truths. The speaker resists the use of such language, advocating for direct and honest communication.

Keywords

💡Euphemisms

Euphemisms are mild or indirect words or expressions substituted for those considered to be too harsh or blunt when referring to something unpleasant or embarrassing. In the video, the speaker criticizes the use of euphemisms in American English, arguing that they obscure reality and truth. The script provides examples such as 'shell shock' evolving into 'post-traumatic stress disorder,' illustrating how language becomes more sanitized over time, distancing people from the harshness of the actual conditions.

💡Reality

Reality, in this context, refers to the true nature of things, as opposed to how they might be described or perceived. The speaker expresses a preference for直面 reality, using direct and honest language to describe situations, rather than sugarcoating them with euphemisms. The video argues that facing reality is essential, and the use of euphemisms is a way for Americans to avoid confronting the truth.

💡Truth

Truth is the quality or state of being true, often in contrast with falsehood or deception. The video emphasizes the importance of truth-telling and the dangers of using language that conceals or distorts the truth. The speaker suggests that by using euphemisms, Americans are not only avoiding reality but also the truth, which can have serious consequences, as illustrated by the different terms used to describe combat stress.

💡Combat Stress

Combat stress refers to the psychological and emotional strain experienced by individuals involved in warfare. The video traces the evolution of terms used to describe this condition, from 'shell shock' in World War I to 'post-traumatic stress disorder' in more recent times. This progression demonstrates the speaker's point about the increasing use of euphemisms and the dilution of the severity of the condition's implications.

💡Evolution of Language

The evolution of language in the video refers to the changes in the way terms are used over time, often becoming more complex and less direct. The speaker uses the evolution of terms for combat stress as a case study to show how language can evolve to obscure the harsh realities it originally described, reflecting a societal shift away from直面 harsh truths.

💡Honest Language

Honest language is straightforward, clear, and truthful communication without the use of euphemisms or deception. The video advocates for the use of honest language to describe reality, as opposed to the soft, protective language that the speaker believes is prevalent in American English. Honest language is presented as a way to confront and deal with reality effectively.

💡Societal Protection

Societal protection in this context refers to the way language is used to shield people from the harsh realities of life. The speaker argues that the use of euphemisms serves as a form of societal protection, but one that ultimately does a disservice by preventing直面 reality and truth. The video suggests that this protective language is a coping mechanism that has become ingrained in American culture.

💡Generational Change

Generational change is the shift in attitudes, beliefs, and language use that occurs from one generation to the next. The video posits that the use of euphemisms has worsened with each generation, suggesting a cultural decline in直面 reality. The speaker implies that each generation's language becomes more detached from the direct and honest descriptions of earlier times.

💡Dehumanizing Language

Dehumanizing language refers to the use of terms that strip individuals of their humanity, often by reducing them to clinical or impersonal descriptions. The video criticizes terms like 'physically challenged' instead of 'crippled,' arguing that such language removes the human element and avoids直面 the reality of people's conditions. This dehumanizing language is presented as another example of how American English obscures truth.

💡Fear of Aging

Fear of aging is the anxiety or dread associated with growing old. The video touches on this fear as a reason for the use of terms like 'senior citizens' instead of 'old people.' The speaker suggests that this fear drives the use of language that avoids直面 the reality of aging, opting instead for terms that are perceived as more positive or less direct.

Highlights

Dislike for words that hide the truth and conceal reality

Critique of American English for its use of euphemisms to avoid facing reality

Example of how language evolves to soften the impact of words, from 'shell shock' to 'post-traumatic stress disorder'

The impact of euphemisms on the perception and treatment of war veterans

The transformation of everyday terms to more sterile and less direct language

The shift from 'toilet paper' to 'bathroom tissue' and its implications

The change in language around poverty and economic disadvantage

The use of language to sanitize and distance from negative realities, such as 'fired' becoming 'no longer viable'

Criticism of the language used by the CIA and government to obscure their actions

The absurdity of certain euphemisms like 'pre-board' and 'physically challenged'

The resistance to the term 'senior citizen' as a euphemism for 'old people'

The fear of aging and the avoidance of the word 'old' in favor of '90 years young'

The absurdity of using 'expire' instead of 'die' and other medical euphemisms for death

The speaker's personal journey with aging and the language used to describe it

The speaker's call to resist the sanitization of language and the importance of直面现实

Transcripts

I don't like words that hide the truth I

don't like words that conceal reality I

don't like euphemisms or euphemistic

language and American English is loaded

with euphemisms because Americans have a

lot of trouble dealing with reality

Americans have trouble facing the truth

so they invent the kind of a soft

language to protect themselves from it

and it gets 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 any more 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 shock almost sounds like

the guns themselves that was 70 years

ago then a whole generation went by and

the second world war came along 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 8 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

at a

hyphen and the pain is completely buried

under jargon post-traumatic stress

disorder I'll bet you if we'd have still

been calling it shell shock some of

those Vietnam veterans might have gotten

the attention they needed at the time

I'll bet you that I'll bet you that

but but it didn't happen and one of the

reasons one of the reasons is because we

were using that soft language that

language that takes the life out of life

and it is a function of time it does

keep getting worse give you another

example sometime during my life sometime

during my life toilet paper 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 the dump 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 health care delivery

professional poor people used to live in

slums now the econ ically disadvantaged

occupy substandard housing in the inner

cities and they're broke they're broke

they don't have a negative cash flow

position they're [ __ ]

broke cuz 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 cons seal lons 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 it 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 Fighters

fight crime and firefighters fight fire

what do Freedom Fighters fight they

never mention that part of it to us do

they never mention that part of it

and and some of the stuff is just silly

we know we all know that like on the

airlines they say they want a pre-board

well 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 handic

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 we have no more deaf people in

this country hearing impaired no one's

blind anymore partially cited 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 oh 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

shipped them all away and we brought in

these senior

citizens isn't that a typically American

20th century phrase bloodless lifeless

no pulse in one of them a senior citizen

but I've accepted that when I've 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 all to describe someone to have to

use an antonym and fear of Aging is

natural it's 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

the insurance company will refer to it

as 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 want to vomit

well maybe not vomit makes me want to

engage in an involuntary personal

protein

spill thank you all