Bad Words

Are these bad words?

• Conflict
• Power
• Discriminate
• Manipulate

Are words ever bad?

Have any more candidates for the list?

Comments

[Mario Vellandi]

Na, these words aren't inherently bad. It's just our mental associations with examples (good, neutral, bad) that color our semantic interpretation.

[ann michael]

Mario -

How true!

The one that hit me recently was discriminate - which simply means to differentiate.

Imagine how "directionless" our lives would be without the ability to discriminate.

It's how people use the word and the values we ascribe to it that make it good or bad.

I have always believed that conflict is good! Without conflict there is no learning and there is no change. I love conflict. I certainly do not believe in demeaning or attacking people - but that's not what conflict means (to me).

Nice to see you Mario!
Ann

[Dean Fuhrman]

Here are some of the definitions:

* Conflict ... an incompatibility between two or more opinions, principles, or interests; a condition in which a person experiences a clash of opposing wishes or needs
* Power ... the ability to do something or act in a particular way, esp. as a faculty or quality; the capacity or ability to direct or influence the behavior of others or the course of events
* Discriminate ... recognize a distinction; differentiate
* Manipulate ... handle or control typically in a skillful manner

It seems to me that we cannot get by without these concepts and hence the word to describe them. Things might be a tad bland without them.

Perhaps it is the emotional content that is inserted into or extracted from the use of the word. In other words, it isn't the word, it is the intent behind the use of such, and that would include the interpretation.

Thoughts on how to map ourselves out of that situation?

[ann michael]

Hi Dean!

I'm not sure - it's hard to do but looking at things objectively helps.

This morning a few of us here in Chicago (at SOBCon) were discussing how money is a "bad word" to some people.

I just don't get it!

Ann