I am astonished by the societal power of good ol’ playground name-calling, even - and especially - among adults. Labels like anti-vaxxer, anti-masker, conspiracy theorist have such powerful impact, despite being simple insults. Why is that? Rather than try to understand or change it, I have decided to go with the flow. After all, names are fun - and can at times be self-fulfilling. Who can forget Bernie Madoff (like a bandit) or Anthony Weiner. I have often told my daughters I made sure, when coming up with their names, there was nothing conspicuously vulnerable to playground ridicule in their names. Neither is named Regina.
We do have some useful, recently coined terms: virtue signalers, never-Trumpers. One can instantly grasp what they mean - no need for explanation. Today I would like to introduce three more much-needed words. Let’s have some fun, shall we?
Chickenwolfer, chickenwolfing: a person who (or the act of) making a bigger deal of something than it is; catastrophizing.
Used in a sentence: Several media outlets have been guilty of chickenwolfing the recent NYC earthquake, which was only a 4. magnitude.
Why we need it: there used to be a fundamental understanding that overreacting would lead to bad outcomes, as in universal childhood stories Chicken Little and The Boy Who Cried Wolf. In the post-pandemic world, there seems to be no shame or line in the sand against overreacting. Better Safe than Sorry is in perpetual reign.
Vascist: a person who believes staunchly in the benefits of vaccines, without consideration of efficacy, risks and potential harm from the targeted disease, accepting collateral damage up to and including death from vaccine side effects as incontrovertibly necessary and justified.
Used in a sentence: More evidence just came out from the CDC showing serious side effects from the covid vaccine, but the vascists refuse to consider its implications.
Why we need it: any public policy or decision ought to be based in detailed consideration of risks and benefits. Today, we live in a world where this isn’t so - we have unlimited, blind acceptance of all vaccines as flawless, beneficial and necessary.
Techhole: a person who believes that all new technology is positive, without regard to potential unintended consequences or long-term societal impacts.
Used in a sentence: When I shared a mainstream media story about geoengineering experiments starting in our hometown, that techhole was excited about it!
Why we need it: technology is evolving faster than any guidelines around how and when to use it, or boundaries around what it should not be used for, putting us on a path to incur potentially devastating unintended consequences.
Can you help me spread the word, y’all? I am sure you can find occasion to use these. Let’s take ‘em viral!
Enjoy.. and happy eclipse day! Watch out for falling skies.
No we're getting somewhere. For the last few years I've been using the playground rebuttal "I know you are but what am I" when called any one of the many names the useful idiots use to attack the thinkers. It works. The new words you have introduced will also work. But just in case they don't catch on, "I know you are but what am I" drives them crazy and short-circuits their tiny little walnut brains.
These are spot on and I intend to use them in my rotation to describe the ever growing moronic behavior I witness everyday!