What would twenty-five blog posts on the benefits of word power be without an entry on the perfect word or phrase for any situation? Precision, exactness in diction is, after all, what we're after and thus is the subject for today. Many thanks to the French for lending us mot juste, a label that attempts to identify perfection in our word choice.
Definition
mot juste: the perfectly appropriate word or phrase for the situation about which you are writing or speaking
Origin
French
It seems to have been coined in the nineteenth century by novelist Gustave Flaubert (author of Madam Bovary), who, like many other writers, spent a lifetime searching for the right words.
Examples
1. Shakespeare was a master of the mot juste, coining over 1500 words himself.
2. Bill gazed into her eyes, relieved to find the mot juste, for her response was the one he had been praying for.
3. His final essay for the course, banal and lacking in imagination, was a clear indication of his disregard for the mot juste.
4. Cilla's natural inclination for the mot juste earned her a job as the senator's speech writer.
Did you notice that the word mot juste isn't necessarily itself the perfect word? It does, however, identify the importance of seeing or hearing the right word.
One of my favorite writing gurus, Donald Murray, said, "We write to explore the constellations and galaxies that lie within us, waiting to be mapped with our own words."
Without question, Murray's imagery demonstrates the power of the mot juste when writers and readers, too, stumble onto that perfect word, perhaps on the journey or even serendipitously. And they will never be the same.
LAMBENT LITERACY: Words are, in my humble opinion, our most inexhaustible source of magic. Capable of both inflicting injury and remedying it. Albus Dumbledore (J.K. Rowling)
Thursday, July 28, 2016
Tuesday, July 26, 2016
Tabula Rasa: Nature or Nurture?
Throughout history philosophers and psychologists have been discussing, writing about, and debating word #3 in the Powerful Words series: tabula rasa. Just talking about this word would cause tempers to flare and arguments to heat up among great thinkers of the past, so what better choice than this one to give power to your diction.
Okay, another word borrowed from Latin. So what does it mean?
Definition of tabula rasa: a blank slate
Take a look at the famous people who have expressed fiercely different opinions about this word and its meaning: Aristotle and the ancient Greeks, Avicenna the Persian, John Locke, St. Thomas Aquinas, Steven Pinker, B. F. Skinner, Sigmund Freud, and Carl Jung, to name a few.
The early philosophers like Aristotle believed that the human mind begins blank but acquires knowledge as it is learned in a variety of ways.
John Locke wrote that at birth, the mind is a blank slate that is filled by sensory experiences.
Jean-Jacques Rousseau said that humans must learn how to engage with others, even through warfare, and that this information was not innate.
Sigmund Freud, known as the father of modern psychology, believed that the human mind, in particular personality traits, is formed through the interaction of family dynamics. In other words, we are what we are because of our upbringing.
Although a more modern psychologist, Skinner, too, implied that individuals are born with a blank slate, but as time progressed, these great thinkers began to acknowledge that perhaps the brain is receptive or actually programmed to pick up certain kinds of information spontaneously. Not so blank any more, eh?
Today we frequently hear that human beings are formed as much by nature (innateness) as by nurture(experience and teaching), but the debate is far from over.
My favorite theory comes from Carl Jung. He said humans are born with a psychological heritage as well as a biological heritage as a result of a long evolutionary process. He clearly did not believe in the tabula rasa idea as an explanation for how we learn.
In Jung's theory of the collective unconscious, he wrote that certain images or symbols represent those instinctual energies called archetypes. Take for example, the tree, the most dominant symbol of life. Every culture across the bounds of time recognizes this same symbol and its meaning without having learned it. Thus Jung believed that all humans are born knowing these archetypes and archetypal patterns such as the hero's journey, which are stored in the collective unconscious, that mysterious, seemingly unattainable part of our minds that we have access to only through our dreams.
Well, when you think about it, how did ancient people all over the world have the same story patterns and symbols that we have today? They obviously did not learn them from us.
There's so much more, but let's stop here with the backstory. The question is, how can you add this word to your speaking and writing vocabulary without having to be an expert on the history/philosophy surrounding the term?
You might find it easier to use the words clean slate/blank slate instead of the Latin tabula rasa.
Look at the four sentences below for some examples:
1. My career has taken an interesting direction with this new job, and I finally feel like I have a blank slate to introduce my ideas.
2. Jack's blank slate theory of dating resulted in starting over with a new girlfriend every six months.
3. Much to Amy's relief, the new grading period offered her a clean slate and a fresh start with her math class.
4. Forgiveness led to a clean slate in our friendship, and we began what would become a much happier journey together through high school.
One last thought. You can still use the expression tabula rasa in place of blank slate. This decision is part of the good news about working on your diction. You have so many choices when you're trying to find your writing voice. Learn to enjoy words and they will do half the work for you!
Okay, another word borrowed from Latin. So what does it mean?
Definition of tabula rasa: a blank slate
Take a look at the famous people who have expressed fiercely different opinions about this word and its meaning: Aristotle and the ancient Greeks, Avicenna the Persian, John Locke, St. Thomas Aquinas, Steven Pinker, B. F. Skinner, Sigmund Freud, and Carl Jung, to name a few.
The early philosophers like Aristotle believed that the human mind begins blank but acquires knowledge as it is learned in a variety of ways.
John Locke wrote that at birth, the mind is a blank slate that is filled by sensory experiences.
Jean-Jacques Rousseau said that humans must learn how to engage with others, even through warfare, and that this information was not innate.
Sigmund Freud, known as the father of modern psychology, believed that the human mind, in particular personality traits, is formed through the interaction of family dynamics. In other words, we are what we are because of our upbringing.
Although a more modern psychologist, Skinner, too, implied that individuals are born with a blank slate, but as time progressed, these great thinkers began to acknowledge that perhaps the brain is receptive or actually programmed to pick up certain kinds of information spontaneously. Not so blank any more, eh?
Today we frequently hear that human beings are formed as much by nature (innateness) as by nurture(experience and teaching), but the debate is far from over.
My favorite theory comes from Carl Jung. He said humans are born with a psychological heritage as well as a biological heritage as a result of a long evolutionary process. He clearly did not believe in the tabula rasa idea as an explanation for how we learn.
In Jung's theory of the collective unconscious, he wrote that certain images or symbols represent those instinctual energies called archetypes. Take for example, the tree, the most dominant symbol of life. Every culture across the bounds of time recognizes this same symbol and its meaning without having learned it. Thus Jung believed that all humans are born knowing these archetypes and archetypal patterns such as the hero's journey, which are stored in the collective unconscious, that mysterious, seemingly unattainable part of our minds that we have access to only through our dreams.
Well, when you think about it, how did ancient people all over the world have the same story patterns and symbols that we have today? They obviously did not learn them from us.
There's so much more, but let's stop here with the backstory. The question is, how can you add this word to your speaking and writing vocabulary without having to be an expert on the history/philosophy surrounding the term?
You might find it easier to use the words clean slate/blank slate instead of the Latin tabula rasa.
Look at the four sentences below for some examples:
1. My career has taken an interesting direction with this new job, and I finally feel like I have a blank slate to introduce my ideas.
2. Jack's blank slate theory of dating resulted in starting over with a new girlfriend every six months.
3. Much to Amy's relief, the new grading period offered her a clean slate and a fresh start with her math class.
4. Forgiveness led to a clean slate in our friendship, and we began what would become a much happier journey together through high school.
One last thought. You can still use the expression tabula rasa in place of blank slate. This decision is part of the good news about working on your diction. You have so many choices when you're trying to find your writing voice. Learn to enjoy words and they will do half the work for you!
Friday, July 22, 2016
Nexus: Making Connections and Going with the Flow
The English language cuddles up to its metaphors like a dog in your favorite chair, and just as the pooch, we take our metaphors for granted. Yes, I'm leading up to Word #2 in my Powerful Words series: nexus.
If you're a techie and even if you're not, you've no doubt heard of Nexus, that line of consumer electronic devices owned and promoted by Google. No? Well, if you're a seasoned traveler, maybe you know the Nexus program that's run by U.S. Customs and Border Protection that allows pre-screened travelers to enter the U.S. and Canada.
But I'm getting ahead of myself. Let's start with the definition.
Definition of nexus: a relationship or connection between people or things; a sequence, string, train, succession, flow, continuum, gamut, circle, cycle, chain. (Whew! Enough with the synonyms.)
Etymology: from Latin, nectere, to bind
first known use, 1663
You see, creative business ventures know better than anyone the power of metaphors, helping consumers "see" the meaning of a product or service by creating images for us with words, especially figurative language such as the metaphor.
When Google and U.S. Customs and perhaps countless others use the word nexus, they want you to see how their products and services are actually about the connections we not only think we need but that psychologists tell us we can't live physically and emotionally healthy lives without. The resulting impact is that we then buy these products. Powerful persuasion, right?
So if we step out of the consumer box for a moment, how can we improve our diction and use this word with skill in everyday speaking and writing?
If you are part of the economic nexus, might you be looking for a financial upswing, maybe a raise in your allowance, or a bull market for your investments?
If you have concerns about the environmental nexus, do you recycle and reuse? Have you gone green? Are you ready to do your part to prevent global warming?
As a teacher, I am part of an educational nexus, moving in the flow of change so that children may have access to learning and become the people they were meant to be.
And if you're really into the nexus of metaphorical language, your sweetheart may be your nexus of love, engaging you in the captivating cycle of the stages of romance and ending, hopefully, in eternal bliss for the two of you. That's a nice thought, eternal bliss.
Ah, aren't words grand? Enjoy your new gift. Nexus.
If you're a techie and even if you're not, you've no doubt heard of Nexus, that line of consumer electronic devices owned and promoted by Google. No? Well, if you're a seasoned traveler, maybe you know the Nexus program that's run by U.S. Customs and Border Protection that allows pre-screened travelers to enter the U.S. and Canada.
But I'm getting ahead of myself. Let's start with the definition.
Definition of nexus: a relationship or connection between people or things; a sequence, string, train, succession, flow, continuum, gamut, circle, cycle, chain. (Whew! Enough with the synonyms.)
Etymology: from Latin, nectere, to bind
first known use, 1663
You see, creative business ventures know better than anyone the power of metaphors, helping consumers "see" the meaning of a product or service by creating images for us with words, especially figurative language such as the metaphor.
When Google and U.S. Customs and perhaps countless others use the word nexus, they want you to see how their products and services are actually about the connections we not only think we need but that psychologists tell us we can't live physically and emotionally healthy lives without. The resulting impact is that we then buy these products. Powerful persuasion, right?
So if we step out of the consumer box for a moment, how can we improve our diction and use this word with skill in everyday speaking and writing?
If you are part of the economic nexus, might you be looking for a financial upswing, maybe a raise in your allowance, or a bull market for your investments?
If you have concerns about the environmental nexus, do you recycle and reuse? Have you gone green? Are you ready to do your part to prevent global warming?
As a teacher, I am part of an educational nexus, moving in the flow of change so that children may have access to learning and become the people they were meant to be.
And if you're really into the nexus of metaphorical language, your sweetheart may be your nexus of love, engaging you in the captivating cycle of the stages of romance and ending, hopefully, in eternal bliss for the two of you. That's a nice thought, eternal bliss.
Ah, aren't words grand? Enjoy your new gift. Nexus.
Wednesday, July 20, 2016
The Power of One Little Word
One of the greatest joys of parents early in a child's life is waiting to hear what the first word will be, the anticipated utterance that will connect this baby's first thoughts with a word that consciously names it. Whether it is the traditional mama or daddy, the great expectation is for the word itself.
As this child grows up, each additional word will accompany the growth of the thinking and experiential processes, and what could be more exciting or more important than accumulating words for a lifetime of communicating, not only for the people surrounding this new little wordsmith but especially for the child herself. And once he learns the power of language, the words will come streaming in, but then what? What will happen when choices about language are made, inadvertently or consciously, and will the choices perhaps be directed at a child who will have little control over them? That could be unfortunate at best and scary at worst. Why?
Words change our lives. We wait for them with longing, sometimes with great anxiety--the words of love or understanding between ordinary human beings, the apology, the explanation, the diagnosis, even simply a yes or no. What enormous potential for communicating are words, clear and luminous so that we may see beyond the darkness and into the light of knowing.
Hence, my next twenty-five blog posts will focus on those words that contribute to lambent literacy. The posts will be short enough to learn some new words with few encumbrances and long enough to glean some additional fodder for thinking, reading, and writing and communicating with power.
Let's begin now. Here goes.
Word One: deus ex machina (Okay, that's three and they're Latin, but if you separate them, you lose the meaning. So try to see them as one word.)
Definition: the literal translation from Latin is god from the machine. I first heard the term when I was studying Shakespeare and the technical stage in which a "god" suddenly appears from the mechanical workings of the stage to solve a seemingly unsolvable problem. The evolution of deus ex machina has resulted in any plot device in which a problem is suddenly resolved by a stroke of good luck, an unexpected and inspired intervention saving a character or situation from disaster.
Does this remind you of, say, Harry Potter? You've no doubt seen this sudden and perhaps somewhat unbelievable rescue a number of times in literature or film, but let's look at it in a new light, a metaphorical one.
Could a person act as a deus ex machina, metaphorically, of course? What if you have a friend or family member who shows up just at the right time to get you out of trouble, help you, or simplify a complex situation you have suddenly found yourself in? Wouldn't that person be your deus ex machina? It's something to think about, right? Good. Let the word roll around in your head a while like a familiar tune that won't go away. And remember, it's actually not a new concept in literature. We sometimes call it coincidence or the universe stepping in, but a rose by any other name would smell as sweet....(Those are Shakespeare's words.)Anyway, you get my drift. Try to use your new word. That's the best way to own it. See you in the next post.
As this child grows up, each additional word will accompany the growth of the thinking and experiential processes, and what could be more exciting or more important than accumulating words for a lifetime of communicating, not only for the people surrounding this new little wordsmith but especially for the child herself. And once he learns the power of language, the words will come streaming in, but then what? What will happen when choices about language are made, inadvertently or consciously, and will the choices perhaps be directed at a child who will have little control over them? That could be unfortunate at best and scary at worst. Why?
Words change our lives. We wait for them with longing, sometimes with great anxiety--the words of love or understanding between ordinary human beings, the apology, the explanation, the diagnosis, even simply a yes or no. What enormous potential for communicating are words, clear and luminous so that we may see beyond the darkness and into the light of knowing.
Hence, my next twenty-five blog posts will focus on those words that contribute to lambent literacy. The posts will be short enough to learn some new words with few encumbrances and long enough to glean some additional fodder for thinking, reading, and writing and communicating with power.
Let's begin now. Here goes.
Word One: deus ex machina (Okay, that's three and they're Latin, but if you separate them, you lose the meaning. So try to see them as one word.)
Definition: the literal translation from Latin is god from the machine. I first heard the term when I was studying Shakespeare and the technical stage in which a "god" suddenly appears from the mechanical workings of the stage to solve a seemingly unsolvable problem. The evolution of deus ex machina has resulted in any plot device in which a problem is suddenly resolved by a stroke of good luck, an unexpected and inspired intervention saving a character or situation from disaster.
Does this remind you of, say, Harry Potter? You've no doubt seen this sudden and perhaps somewhat unbelievable rescue a number of times in literature or film, but let's look at it in a new light, a metaphorical one.
Could a person act as a deus ex machina, metaphorically, of course? What if you have a friend or family member who shows up just at the right time to get you out of trouble, help you, or simplify a complex situation you have suddenly found yourself in? Wouldn't that person be your deus ex machina? It's something to think about, right? Good. Let the word roll around in your head a while like a familiar tune that won't go away. And remember, it's actually not a new concept in literature. We sometimes call it coincidence or the universe stepping in, but a rose by any other name would smell as sweet....(Those are Shakespeare's words.)Anyway, you get my drift. Try to use your new word. That's the best way to own it. See you in the next post.
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