= 27d567bc2d48d9f40e9ccc20ea370b15)
pnrjulius comments on Avoid inflationary use of terms - Less Wrong
You are viewing a comment permalink. View the original post to see all comments and the full post content.
= 783df68a0f980790206b9ea87794c5b6)
Loading…= b715d02e85f7b3b4ae65ca3d3e450868)
Subscribe to RSS Feed
Powered by Reddit
= f037147d6e6c911a85753b9abdedda8d)
You are viewing a comment permalink. View the original post to see all comments and the full post content.
Comments (90)
This is also why I discourage people from overusing words like "awesome" and "magnificent"; I want to be able to say that about the Horsehead Nebula, but other people keep applying it to skateboard tricks. It really is very much like living in Zimbabwe and finding out your million dollars in the bank has just been turned into the price of a pack of gum.
It's also why the best way to defuse an offensive word is actually to use it a lot; the more often we say "fuck" the less "fuck" will seem to mean, until ultimately it doesn't bother anyone anymore. (Of course, we may invent some new swear word that is deemed taboo and repeat the cycle.)
Eddie Izzard on "awesome."
I think the problem with over-use of "awesome" is not so much its use for less substantial things, but its use as a generic positive adjective. Awesome has a meaning - it means "inspiring awe". I've seen awesome skateboard tricks, they inspired in me a sense of awe at the skill and athletic ability of the skateboarder. Awesomeness of course is defined in terms of a person's reaction, so it's a subjective thing. I have no problem with people who have awe instilled in them by things I don't find awesome. But some people use 'awesome' to mean 'really good'. As in "I know an awesome mexican restaurant where we can have lunch". Here the speaker isn't talking about awe at all, and that is what dilutes the word.
Same thing with "incredible" and "unbelievable", with "fantastic" and "fabulous". These words don't just mean "really good", they carry specific meanings for why the thing they describe is good. Describing a scientific result as "incredible" means it's bad science, since the result cannot be believed. Describing a business plan as "fantastic" means it's terrible, since it's far removed from reality, a fantasy.
What words should enthusiasts use to describe something they enjoy then? I use awesome and other similar words to describe skilled starcraft players, music, and other things which other people might not care about at all, until someone comes up with a comprehensive list or formula for determining what can be called awesome and what cannot it does not make much sense to tell someone that their usage is incorrect.
As for use of swear words- I will leave this grand task to you. The minor gain of purging the english language of one pointlessly agressive word is not strong enough to make the side effects worthwhile.
I would guess that amateur astronomy is more exciting to you than skateboarding. Do you think this is true for everyone?