"Tell us about a word that changed your life"

[stormie]

OK so Dictionary.com is looking for an employee. Usual ad stuff, then . . .

A short essay about a word that changed your life.


Hmmm. Birth? What the HELL????

[mothedrine]

I think it assumes that you need a word in order to grasp the concept that word represents and manipulate that concept. I don't know about anyone else, but I can tell you from my experience that's horse shit.

So either they're misinformed about the importance of words or they're being intentionally hyperbolic. JMHO.

[KidVermicious]

Originally Posted by mothedrine

I think it assumes that you need a word in order to grasp the concept that word represents and manipulate that concept. I don't know about anyone else, but I can tell you from my experience that's horse shit.

So either they're misinformed about the importance of words and they're being intentionally hyperbolic. JMHO.

ftfy

They think they're being clever. Fucking HR goons.

"Tell us about a time you fantasized about doing your bosses wife in his office."

[mothedrine]

Stormie: are you applying for a job?

edit: apologies if that's too personal.

[jali]

Go.

The word "go" changed my life because this is the first word that I remember reading and remembering. "Go Dick, go" was the sentence, I think.

Reading is life to me. I have books all over my house and in my Kindle right now and I'm always looking for more. I love new authors and new concepts and I can't imagine life without being able to read.


This is the kind of bullshit that they're looking for: something cutesie.

[Taur]

Couldn't they just ask what kind of tree you'd be?

[Caerie]

Essentialism.

The word "essentialism" changed my life because this word allows me to describe everything I hate about humanity. It both describes the way that we first begin to learn word categories and also illustrates the fundamental flaw in how our brains process information. Essentialism is what leads to idiocy like Plato. Essentialism makes us categorize things which belong on an open continuum. Essentialism leads us to embrace creationism, magic and hard--yet imaginary--divisions between groups.

Understanding these things instinctively wasn't enough. It was only when I was introduced to the word essentialism that I could finally come up with a unifying theory as to why I loathe the very nature of humanity.

I think I'm a shoe in for the job.

[KidVermicious]

You're way too good at that, Jali. I'm coming to you for coaching the next time I have to prep for an interview.

[Dragonlady]

Originally Posted by jali

Go.

The word "go" changed my life because this is the first word that I remember reading and remembering. "Go Dick, go" was the sentence, I think.

Reading is life to me. I have books all over my house and in my Kindle right now and I'm always looking for more. I love new authors and new concepts and I can't imagine life without being able to read.


This is the kind of bullshit that they're looking for: something cutesie.

Dick? Are you sure? You're about the same age as I am and my first reader had Tom, Betty and Susan. And later some guy named Stephen. Which I read as "Step Hen". Because, ya know - divide an unknown word into parts you DO know....

[jali]

Originally Posted by Dragonlady

Dick? Are you sure? You're about the same age as I am and my first reader had Tom, Betty and Susan. And later some guy named Stephen. Which I read as "Step Hen". Because, ya know - divide an unknown word into parts you DO know....

It was Dick for sure. Catholic school probably used older/used textbooks.

[3acres]

Originally Posted by Dragonlady

Dick? Are you sure? You're about the same age as I am and my first reader had Tom, Betty and Susan. And later some guy named Stephen. Which I read as "Step Hen". Because, ya know - divide an unknown word into parts you DO know....

Jali must have been educated with the famous "Dick and Jane" books. As for your Tom, Betty, and Susan...never heard of them. We had "Tip and Mitten" (a dog and cat) at my grade school. They probably all had the same goofy sentences: "See Tip run. Run, Tip, run!".

Ha! First grade: I won the spelling bee with the word "jug". Threw up on Miss Majors once. Walter got his head stuck between the slats in the back of his chair and they had to saw him free. What a goof. What a great time!

[Pere]

I think y'all are being a bit hard on them. Yes, it's a bit of a cheesy approach, but shouldn't "dictionary.com" believe in the importance of words? Don't we kind of want that?

Originally Posted by mothedrine

I think it assumes that you need a word in order to grasp the concept that word represents and manipulate that concept. I don't know about anyone else, but I can tell you from my experience that's horse shit.

Okay, you don't need a word for every concept to get by, but it sure makes it easier to have them, doesn't it? Gives you handles. There's certainly some kind of limit to how many nameless concepts you can really juggle.

[mothedrine]

Originally Posted by Peremensoe

I think y'all are being a bit hard on them. Yes, it's a bit of a cheesy approach, but shouldn't "dictionary.com" believe in the importance of words? Don't we kind of want that?

Okay, you don't need a word for every concept to get by, but it sure makes it easier to have them, doesn't it? Gives you handles. There's certainly some kind of limit to how many nameless concepts you can really juggle.

I'm not sure any more. I used to be much more aware of my internal processes. It was the bane of my existence. I could spend 10 minutes telling you what transpired during 10 seconds in my mind. But I think I've gradually developed a little bit of that buffer between perception and consciousness that most people have so I'm not so painfully aware any more. I really don't believe I rely on words very much for my thought processes, but I'll try to catch myself next time I'm working on something and see.

I know that my dreams, in the rare cases that I remember them, consist of just vague constructs, or rather, clusters of constructs rather than images. I don't see people or objects but "perceive" a sort of place holder. It's hard to explain. It's the same for my memories. I can't actually "see" anything from my past.

You have to understand that someone with a lot of rewiring after such a serious brain trauma as encephalitis is probably going to have a different way of interacting with and coping with the world.

[Pere]

Originally Posted by mothedrine

I used to be much more aware of my internal processes. It was the bane of my existence. I could spend 10 minutes telling you what transpired during 10 seconds in my mind. But I think I've gradually developed a little bit of that buffer between perception and consciousness that most people have so I'm not so painfully aware any more. I really don't believe I rely on words very much for my thought processes, but I'll try to catch myself next time I'm working on something and see.

Oh, I understand completely how a lot can go on without word-handles or consciousness (not that these are the same, or dependent, things; words do not require consciousness). Some common waking situations are mostly wordless and/or unconscious, for all of us. I don't think words are at all necessary to live through many day-to-day situations. I'm just saying that there's a lot of thinking* that is enabled by words. The modern human brain has been literally shaped by language.


* I almost said "higher-order thinking" there, but that may imply a value judgment that I don't intend. I respect both kinds.

Originally Posted by mothedrine

You have to understand that someone with a lot of rewiring after such a serious brain trauma as encephalitis is probably going to have a different way of interacting with and coping with the world.

This is you? Have you written about this elsewhere on the board?

[Beadalin]

Super tempting to spin a tale about using a safeword during a BDSM scene. Ha!

Some genuine responses could be about:
- Learning something helpful in a foreign language
- Getting punished for using a curse word, or feeling powerful when using one out loud for the first time
- The first or any word that made you laugh when you heard it just because it's a fun word. Or a funny misspelling.
- A made up word you use often, or one of those "family" words (usually something a toddler said wrong that sticks for life)

I like words.

[mothedrine]

Originally Posted by Peremensoe

This is you? Have you written about this elsewhere on the board?

I've mentioned it a few times but I understand that people don't read every single thread. I should probably stick it in a blog posting. The problem is that aside from an MRI showing some serious cortical atrophy I don't really have any solid proof that I do have brain damage. Honestly, I don't think there is much doubt since you simply don't survive viral encephalitis, untreated, and walk away without significant damage. (BTW, it was untreated since in the early 60's, there were no antivirals and they had to rely on my natural immune response to fight the infection) But strictly speaking, it is still conjecture on my part. I suppose my satanic grab bag of psych issues might also be used as evidence, but there are too many problems with that approach to list. And finally there is issue of throwing a self-catered pity-party. I guess I'll get around to it eventually though.

[Caerie]

Originally Posted by Beadalin

Getting punished for using a curse word, or feeling powerful when using one out loud for the first time

Ooh, this is a great one. My mom has a story about the first time her mother said "fuck" in front of her and then the first time I said it in front of her. She was very proud both times, because my mom's weird.

[Mustard Stain]

Originally Posted by 3acres

We had "Tip and Mitten" (a dog and cat) at my grade school. They probably all had the same goofy sentences: "See Tip run. Run, Tip, run!".

We had Mr. Mugs, a sheepdog.

But anyway, "a word that changed my life"...? Hate to say it, but it would probably be: "Shazam!"

[Clothahump]

Hmmm....there are several.

"Fuck". The first time I did, it definitely changed my life. And rocked my world.

"Perseverance". Never give up. Once I learned that word, it enabled me to grasp the concept of staying the course.

"Yet". Probably the strongest word in the English language. It totally changes one's perspective. "I can't do that", a self-fulfilling prophecy, becomes "I can't do that yet", which is a positive statement; maybe I can't do it now, but I WILL be able to do it in the future.

[Harry]

Originally Posted by Caerie

Essentialism.

The word "essentialism" changed my life because this word allows me to describe everything I hate about humanity. It both describes the way that we first begin to learn word categories and also illustrates the fundamental flaw in how our brains process information. Essentialism is what leads to idiocy like Plato. Essentialism makes us categorize things which belong on an open continuum. Essentialism leads us to embrace creationism, magic and hard--yet imaginary--divisions between groups.

Understanding these things instinctively wasn't enough. It was only when I was introduced to the word essentialism that I could finally come up with a unifying theory as to why I loathe the very nature of humanity.

I think I'm a shoe in for the job.

This is way cool...mind if I put it on my application too?

[stormie]

Moth, I am always applying for jobs. When I am not grasping my dog and whimpering.

But am not applying for this job. I recommend Jali, decommend Caerie because that is just scary, and withhold judgement on Harry until evidence is provided.

There is a movement in the clinical cognition field about organic brain problems in people who suffered head trauma/disease with no subsequent structural findings, much less atrophy. Perhaps you could find a clinician familiar with this syndrome who could assist. (I'd start with authors of publications and NIH grantees.)

[Anacanapuna]

One word that changed my life? "Watergate." Because of that word I wasted 25 fucking years in fucking newspaper newsrooms when I should have been teaching kids how to write.

Fucking Nixon.

[mothedrine]

stormie:Thanks, but I was lucky to have had the disease at such a young age (6) and have had 4 or 5 decades to adapt to the damage and deficiencies. I think it's much like a person who suffers a stroke. The only thing you can really do is keep working on the things that are important to you and I can honestly say that in many areas I've made a lot of progress. If anything is subject to debate though, it's my priorities - there are certain things I probably should consider important which I don't.

[BJMoose]

Originally Posted by KidVermicious

"Tell us about a time you fantasized about doing your bosses wife in his office."

No wonder I can't find decent work. None of my bosses' wives were worth doing. . . .



The word that changed my life was supercalifragilisticexpialidocious. It made me precocious, which was way better than being a seven-year-old smartass.

[Harry]

Originally Posted by stormie

withhold judgement on Harry until evidence is provided.

Good luck with that...I always destroy the evidence. Well, except for the chocolate chip bag at Solfy's that one time.

[Jaglavak]

"Freezemotherfucker" certainly made an impression on me.

[picunurse]

"penultimate." This was the first word I found to mean something I never suspected.

..."she said, with her "PENULTIMATE" breath."