<description>&lt;p&gt;This week Susan James and I talk about how and why we ruin words. As always, we are discussing the latest dispatch from The Embassy - &lt;a target="_blank" href="https://theembassy.substack.com/p/on-ruined-words"&gt;Ruining Words&lt;/a&gt; - here is an excerpt …&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;… We don’t tend to use these words with their actual meanings engaged. I think many of us don’t even know their meaning as we use them.&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;&lt;p&gt;&lt;em&gt;We begin to lose the ability to talk about reality …&lt;/em&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;The flattening of these words mirrors and serves the polarization of our culture. We use words as we wish in order to please our cultural patrons and defeat our cultural foes. This negative trend in our culture I have noted many times. But I want to point out that flattening all words connected to our widening cultural divide into either “good” and “bad”, or “us” and “them” has effects beyond the cultural moment. We will miss these words, their history, their impact, their meaning. In an earlier post, I said that &lt;a target="_blank" href="https://theembassy.substack.com/p/well-miss-the-truth-when-it-is-gone"&gt;we will miss the truth when it is gone&lt;/a&gt;. This is, I suppose, a way of saying the same thing. The truth of these words, something that might unify, might appeal, might challenge … we need that truth, those meanings. We will miss them when they are gone. We begin to lose the ability to talk about reality in many important areas of life, only able to describe our experience and views in terms of the cultural divide, only able to say “us” or “them”. But life is more than “us” and “them”. We need to avoid being complicit in losing the ability to say so.&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;I hope you read the entire piece …&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;&lt;/p&gt; &lt;br/&gt;&lt;br/&gt;Get full access to The Embassy at &lt;a href="https://theembassy.substack.com/subscribe?utm_medium=podcast&amp;#38;utm_campaign=CTA_4"&gt;theembassy.substack.com/subscribe&lt;/a&gt;</description>

On Culture

Mike Sherman - a podcast of The Embassy substack newsletter - theembassy.substack.com

On Culture - Ruining Words

NOV 2, 202430 MIN
On Culture

On Culture - Ruining Words

NOV 2, 202430 MIN

Description

<p>This week Susan James and I talk about how and why we ruin words. As always, we are discussing the latest dispatch from The Embassy - <a target="_blank" href="https://theembassy.substack.com/p/on-ruined-words">Ruining Words</a> - here is an excerpt …</p><p>… We don’t tend to use these words with their actual meanings engaged. I think many of us don’t even know their meaning as we use them.</p><p><p><em>We begin to lose the ability to talk about reality …</em></p></p><p>The flattening of these words mirrors and serves the polarization of our culture. We use words as we wish in order to please our cultural patrons and defeat our cultural foes. This negative trend in our culture I have noted many times. But I want to point out that flattening all words connected to our widening cultural divide into either “good” and “bad”, or “us” and “them” has effects beyond the cultural moment. We will miss these words, their history, their impact, their meaning. In an earlier post, I said that <a target="_blank" href="https://theembassy.substack.com/p/well-miss-the-truth-when-it-is-gone">we will miss the truth when it is gone</a>. This is, I suppose, a way of saying the same thing. The truth of these words, something that might unify, might appeal, might challenge … we need that truth, those meanings. We will miss them when they are gone. We begin to lose the ability to talk about reality in many important areas of life, only able to describe our experience and views in terms of the cultural divide, only able to say “us” or “them”. But life is more than “us” and “them”. We need to avoid being complicit in losing the ability to say so.</p><p>I hope you read the entire piece …</p><p></p> <br/><br/>Get full access to The Embassy at <a href="https://theembassy.substack.com/subscribe?utm_medium=podcast&#38;utm_campaign=CTA_4">theembassy.substack.com/subscribe</a>