I think if I hear the words ‘problematic’ or worse, ‘deeply problematic’ one more time, my brain will explode.
Not that I’m asking anyone to change how they use words, if those words come out naturally or anything. This is about my brain, not yours.
But I feel like my dad did when he dropped a big load of black beans on the floor. He started backing away and said in a high pitched panicked voice, “THEY’RE EVERYWHERE, THEY’RE EVERYWHERE!”
They’re everywhere, and each time I see them it’s like a little explosion in my brain. Some words bite my brain like that for reasons I don’t fully comprehend. Buzzwords are frequently among them though, so that’s probably one reason. But I don’t choose which words start doing this to me, it just happens. The worst is when it’s words I myself use a lot. Or words and phrases I coined. Then I’m really screwed.
(…and brain grinds to a screeching halt)
“performative”
“performativity”
If I were trying to understand that word, fur would be flying in my head. As it is, looking at it causes a somewhat painful blip.
(As always. This is not a request for anyone to change their language on my account. This is a request not to even try defining it to me. That only makes it worse. This is also a request to make no assumptions as to whether I understand what the word was invented to say. And to not decide I just don’t want to know what it means or that I’d understand it if only I’d had certain life experiences or etc.)