3 ms·

Similar to how we no longer use "retarded" to be sensitive to the disabled, people have been rethinking words like "crazy", "insane", or "sanity" to be sensitiv

Similar to how we no longer use "retarded" to be sensitive to the disabled, people have been rethinking words like "crazy", "insane", or "sanity" to be sensitive towards those with mental illness. Update: Not sure why I got downvoted for stating the rationale for why people are making this change. Objectively I haven't even stated my opinion on the change, just the rationale I've seen for it. If you want a source here's one from NPR around this language: https://www.npr.org/2019/07/08/739643765/why-people-are-arguing-to-stop-using-the-words-crazy-and-insane https://www.npr.org/2019/07/08/739643765/why-people-are-argu...

bobthepanda 6y ago
also the US has a pretty ugly history of throwing up nonconforming people in mental institutions when it's convenient (see: suffragettes, gay people, etc.)
mlyle 6y ago
An interesting tangent is-- "retarded, moron, imbecile" all were relatively neutral medical terms once upon a time. Labels applied to disadvantaged groups linguistically develop a pejorative connotation over time.
- bobthepanda 6y ago
  It doesn't really help that a lot of what we used to consider mental illness was mostly just behavior not conforming with the mainstream. US suffragettes hunger-striking were institutionalized and force-fed under the guise of mental illness, and being gay itself used to be classified as a mental illness.
- deleted 6y ago
  [deleted]
dijit 6y ago
Yes, but this is very much part of the Euphemism Treadmill[0] I would fervently argue that 'sanity' has nothing to do with denigrating persons, merely ensuring that the solution remains "sane" in light of many people pouring time on things in different contexts. Unless we're saying sanity in of itself is bad? [0]: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Euphemism#Evolution https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Euphemism#Evolution
htk 6y ago
But confidence check can hurt people with low self-esteem. It’s turtles all the way down.
- disposekinetics 6y ago
  Coherence is sexist because woman have long suffered from accusations of incoherence.
ibejoeb 6y ago
I'm not downvoting you. I just don't see an argument against sanity or coherence. These are things are objectively good. Don't hear a lot of "hey, that's awfully coherent, how about maybe walk that back a little..." I'm good with the rest of it. I have no need to call anything master/slave. I worry about analysis paralysis though. Primary/secondary has caste connotations, if you ask me...

bobthepanda 6y ago

also the US has a pretty ugly history of throwing up nonconforming people in mental institutions when it's convenient (see: suffragettes, gay people, etc.)

mlyle 6y ago

An interesting tangent is-- "retarded, moron, imbecile" all were relatively neutral medical terms once upon a time. Labels applied to disadvantaged groups linguistically develop a pejorative connotation over time.

bobthepanda 6y ago
It doesn't really help that a lot of what we used to consider mental illness was mostly just behavior not conforming with the mainstream. US suffragettes hunger-striking were institutionalized and force-fed under the guise of mental illness, and being gay itself used to be classified as a mental illness.
deleted 6y ago
[deleted]

dijit 6y ago

Yes, but this is very much part of the Euphemism Treadmill[0] I would fervently argue that 'sanity' has nothing to do with denigrating persons, merely ensuring that the solution remains "sane" in light of many people pouring time on things in different contexts. Unless we're saying sanity in of itself is bad? [0]: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Euphemism#Evolution https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Euphemism#Evolution

htk 6y ago

But confidence check can hurt people with low self-esteem. It’s turtles all the way down.

disposekinetics 6y ago
Coherence is sexist because woman have long suffered from accusations of incoherence.

ibejoeb 6y ago

I'm not downvoting you. I just don't see an argument against sanity or coherence. These are things are objectively good. Don't hear a lot of "hey, that's awfully coherent, how about maybe walk that back a little..." I'm good with the rest of it. I have no need to call anything master/slave. I worry about analysis paralysis though. Primary/secondary has caste connotations, if you ask me...