How does the vocabulary we use influence the way we think? Can changing the way we speak lead to desirable, non-hierarchical thought?

[King]

I think it does and that it can but what are your thoughts?

[Bruce]

I’m not too sure exactly what you mean, but if I do think having “snobby” vocabulary, or using words for the sake of sounding smarter can make one feel more elitist, and they come off that way. I think more populist speech and less jargon can make people sound relatable and feel relatable. It’s something people on the right have known for years, but the left has yet to learn. By populist, I don’t mean bigotry or rightwing speech. I mean working class, not Ivy League, Oxford, hipster, etc dialect.

[King]

That's a good point, yeah. What I meant, however, is our use of hierarchical and possessive language (particularly, but not exclusively, in relation to other human and non human animals) and how it influences the way we think. Think "I'm TAKING (insert pronouns) on a date." as opposed to "We're going on a date." Or "Yeah, I'm that dog's owner." as opposed to "I'm that dog's companion/caretaker."

[King]

I wholeheartedly agree with you that using less niche jargon and more common vocab when trying to get the uninitiated onboard with our ideas is incredibly important. Saying "workplace" instead of "means of production" and stuff like that. We gotta win hearts and minds.

[Bruce]

Oh yes. I agree. I’m very anti gender roles and I almost never referred to myself as the owner of my late child 🐈 I almost never date because I won’t “make the first move”/approach. I also don’t pay, but I prefer to go Dutch. I don’t even remember saying “take out on a date” when I have. I’ve always had trouble not using the possessive “my” and “girlfriend” “boyfriend” though. Unfortunately, that goes more to the thing I mentioned first - most people don’t relate to “my partner” yet, and really, if I have to choose, in most situations I’m going to go with what relates to working class people rather than identity politics.

[Dot]

I would think that what jargon we use would depend on who we're talking to. I'm never talking to everyone at once, right?

And if I'm speaking to someone, then I'd like them to understand me. But sometimes that can mean using a word they haven't heard before in order to let them know that this is an important concept, even if previously unknown to them. Kind of like how science fiction uses new words to let us know that we can't take something for granted...

At any rate, I don't think that any policy makes sense for all communication, which is always subjective, and relational, and contextual.