Send to a Friend

Demosthenes's avatar

What are terms you hear overused or misused?

Asked by Demosthenes (14957points) June 1st, 2021

And in what way? Are they terms you use or would like to use but don’t because of how they are misused?

One that came to my attention recently is “gaslighting”. I watched the movie “Gaslight” the other night and it reminded me that rather than be used to refer to a form of psychological abuse in which a person is made to question their sanity or reality, it’s commonly used on internet forums simply as a means of obfuscation when confronted with an argument one doesn’t like. I very frequently come across its misuse.

Another one is “triggered”. I think it describes a valid type of hysterical overreaction where the person desires to completely eliminate an opponent rather than engage with their argument, but often I simply see it used any time there’s a disagreement, as if contesting someone’s argument is itself a form of being “triggered” which essentially renders the term meaningless.

Using Fluther

or

Using Email

Separate multiple emails with commas.
We’ll only use these emails for this message.