At the current rate of acquisition, the word feel could replace every verb in the dictionary before the end of the year. The treacherous scoundrel eradicated know, believe, think, and want, all while I rubbed the skin off my palms trying to answer one question: How do you feel your child's school prepares her for college.
This week, new questions smacked me with the gravity of the situation. Do you feel you are getting your money's worth? Why do you feel your children expect more than you did? What do you feel works in this story, and what do you feel should be changed? And my favorite, do you feel the president (sic) was honest in his address.
What I feel right now is pain from scratching my head. I feel angry because I know I am not getting my money's worth. I believe my children expect more than I did because I have watched their society turn into one of instant gratification and products designed for quick replacement. I know a passive voice hinders the action scene in the story and think the writer should use an active voice, and I feel nauseated by what I know the president (sic) lied about and twisted in his address.
I think I can win this battle. I feel optimistic. I hope I will win. I believe I am prepared, and I know I have the strength to try. I think I know when to use the word feel. I know I have the intelligence to learn.
Okay, I believe I can win if you feel like helping.
Sandy Knauer-
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Comments: 50
and I answered him thusly: "They told me to get in touch with my 'feelings' and that's the one I picked." I often reply to the question "how do you feel"
by saying "I feel like an orange, squeeze me"......
Charles Dickens is a personal favorite. The wit, the satire, the intricacy of the plots is just amazing. This same friend cannot wrap his brain around the idea that these stories used to be the entertainment of the masses; bedtime stories for children... "Yeah, maybe for a few of the richest, most elite, highly educated children, but definitely not the average child." These stunningly beautiful, often hilariously funny stories are mostly lost on people today, because they just can't handle the language.
I am thoroughly convinced that "American" and "English" are two different languages; with "American" being sort of a 'reader's digest condensed' version of the original.
"Feel" is nearly as big a tart as "-ing," that nasty little pimp. In fact, I think I'll write a piece on that.
Thanks, Sandy, you've inspired me ;)
... And I bet your accent is beautiful, too.
" (I wander off topic because I can't get over the woman who said she has a right to her opinion, and it is her opinion that Barack Obama is Muslim.) "
Did you throw your hands up and end the coversation at that point? Sometimes when you hear something like this and you see the magnitude of the effort you must invest (in a person unwilling to invest a minimum effort of their own) just to get a person to an average level of awareness, you just give up.
But ... who am I to talk, right? ;)
Regards,
Doyle I <~~~~~
I feel good that I found this article. How do you feel about it?
On the contrary, political correctness is a false flag issue. The original meaning of the term, used by the left, referred to being ideologically correct--in other words, conforming to the required version of Marxist dogma, to whatever the party line happened to be at the time. It became a pejorative term, mocking this tendency, before it was co-opted by the right for something different--using non-offensive and non-discriminatory language when speaking about women, minorities, disabled people, etc. That's not politically correct, for crying out loud--it's just common decency.
As for weasel language, people have been engaging in it for all of written history (and, we might suspect, before). It has nothing to do with left vs. right, now vs. then, or what conservatives like to call PC. It's useful to call it when we see it though, and that's pretty much all I meant.
Now, the woman is "entitled" to her opinion in the sense that in a free country we don't try to force people to believe one thing as opposed to another. That doesn't mean all opinions are equal and must be given the same weight by everyone else.
(Suppose my opinion is she is a Muslim? I wonder if she could figure out where I went wrong in formulating this opinion.)
In my job, at my level of management, "politically Correct" is not a false flag issue, regardless of the etymology of the term. It's a second language. There are words that you do not use and there are words designed to be non-offensive substitutes for them. Some of the words are replacing other words that are just not offensive.
You mentioned that you didn't think it was a conscious decision . . . but is seemed to reference a politically correct statement about feelings . . . a connection I made, not one that you claimed.
Regards,
Doyle I <~~~~~
Sheeeesh . . . my thoughts seem mangled. Perhaps I should be getting back to work! :)
Great article, Sandy.
Maybe you could write one about "that" and "which." I'd like you to enlighten me as to why "that" is less effective than "which." : ) Just... You know... In your spare time. : )
Doyle, I was speechless for once. I would have had to overcome my aversion to violence in order to respond, and I was too lazy.
Andrea, I'm afraid the feed isn't what kept you from seeing this article. The terribly inconvenient next page function on our My Articles page might be to blame. This article is two years old and back about twenty pages on my list.
Way to go, Aniko! I agree, but would add that while I know the woman has a right to express an ignorant opinion, I also believe we have a duty to educate her (or at least the people who are listening to her) so she can know that she is choosing to state an ignorant opinion the next time.
My thoughts about feelings are much the same. I should respect someone else's feelings but (if I honestly care about the person) I should also draw the line between respecting/accepting feelings, and enabling that person to continue feeling hurt about something that is based on incorrect facts or information.
The "We must respect...." sentence was ironic, but I know that doesn't come across reliably in text, especially since we don't know each other that well. (I suspect Sandy knew I was being my usual cynical self.)
I'll check other sites (or my desk) for the others - after dinner, and maybe after Dancing With the Stars.
Now THAT'S impressive! :)
"My thoughts about feelings are much the same. I should respect someone else's feelings . . ."
I cannot agree. You didn't grow up with a racist who "Feels" all blacks should be kept separate from all whites. I cannot respect that . . . and though, finally, he's advanced (a tad) . . . I'll never respect it. All those racists during the civil rights marches didn't vanish . . . they evolved or they hide their true feelings.
Regards,
Doyle I <~~~~~
Okay, there may be a use for this "feed" madness after all... like Andrea, that's how I found this delightful essay on the deterioration of our language and this wonderful comment by Donald McCullough!
I remember when it entered our lexicon and it was exactly as you say. In fact we on the left in the US usually used it in an ironic and self-deprecating way. Now, of course, it is used as a handy insult to attack almost any language or concept the speaker disagrees with. For this reason I will not accept it as part of the conversation in any discussion I think is important.
Doyle, it may mean one thing in your company, but don't you recognize that when someone else uses it in a different context, it often means something entirely different?
Cool idea. I don't like poverty and homelessness so I think I'll ban those words from MY discussions! :P
"Doyle, it may mean one thing in your company, but don't you recognize that when someone else uses it in a different context, it often means something entirely different? "
Of course. But I was the one that used it, not somebody else. This is why I defined my intent when confusion arose.
Regards,
Doyle I <~~~~~
If you're asking me, I don't agree. I know men who feel and women who know. Most of the men and women I know well seem to do both, and to know the difference between the two.
Kathleen, I went all sentimental and teary when I saw Donald's comment. He is one of the wisest men on Gather. I haven't seen him in about a year, and sure do miss him.
Doyle, I think we agree about respecting feelings if you consider my complete statement. I don't think wanting to keep blacks and whites separate is a feeling. The feeling would be fear, and I would not enable that person to continue in a fearful state without providing more information.
Regarding PC, I understand the need in business situations where it is difficult to control people who use offensive words. And I agree that it got ridiculous (especially when someone tries to tell me that I should be insulted when I'm not).
I don't like poverty and homelessness so I think I'll ban those words from MY discussions! Wouldn't those be economically challenged and liberal?
Just ask the MEN ... of course things are not 100% ... it was meant to be sarcasm. (it must have flopped).