Elitism. It's a dirty word, and it should be. I don't like it – looking down on someone just doesn't seem right somehow. It's one thing to say that I am better at a given task than you, or more skilled. But for me to look at you and say, I am more enlightened than you, sheep, well that's wrong. It's arrogant, and very often the person has perfectly reasonable reasons for doing what he does – as he has different experiences on which to build his worldview it makes sense that his worldview might be different from mine. What appears to be simple incompetence might turn out to be mishearing or misinterpreting ambiguous directions, or someone highly skilled in one area (say, math) having to do something he simply has no talent or experience for (say, teaching math.) Never attribute to malice that which can be explained by stupidity, and never attribute to stupidity that which can be explained by reasonableness in unreasonable circumstances.
It's easy to think that you have all the answers (or better yet, that there are no answers, and knowing this is the real answer) and patronize those who haven't figured it out yet. And then what happens is you meet someone who is nearly exactly like how you were so many years ago, when you thought you had your head on straight at the time – and realize that that you were a Grade A Cosmic Schmuck back then without realizing it. The next logical thought is: if I thought I was so on top of it then, when I really wasn't, and I think I'm on top of it now, can I trust my judgment? And meanwhile the current schmuck is sitting there, being ignorant all over that cup of joe, daring you to judge him.
Here's the tricky part: it's impossible not to judge him. He's an ass. You don't want to look down on him but you can't help it because he's debased himself so much that any other perspective is impossible. Surely there must be some circumstance that justify the seeming stinking morass of alleged humanity at the next desk. But then you learn more about the person, and there isn't. The reason that the twenty year old girl is a single mother of three working a temp job isn't that she misjudged the character of a man, thinking he would stay beside her, but that she never expected any of her men to stick with her very long, and there were certainly a lot more than three; she's in the temp job because she never put any effort into education, and she'll soon lose the temp job because she isn't putting any effort into this one either. The kid who throws trash in a theater, not leaving it accidentally, fully knowing that somebody else will just have to clean it up and replies "because I'm a gangsta, yo" when you ask him why. The manager who insists that you be on time, never as late as a minute to work or from breaks, and never check your cellphone to see if it might be the daycare calling to let you know that your son has just been hospitalized – and then is never prepared for work herself, making you wait hours sitting in a dark cubicle while she figures out whatever it was she was going to train you on today. The man who writes a letter to the editor congratulating network teevee on casting swarthy actors as terrorists in the latest drama, saying they have courage to "show terrorists who look like real terrorists." The adults who have nominally gone through the college system but still figure that you must be some kind of an incredible genius because you used advanced phrases like "cause and effect" in an explanation.
I try to assume the best of people, to give them the benefit of the doubt. It's a map, a necessarily flawed one: some people really are that poor in every virtue. And it seems to fit less and less. People meager in character aren't obscure minorities – people who can only be described as trash exist and they exist in large numbers. When I was younger, I stayed separate from other social circles and told myself that I was somehow better than those I observed from the sidelines. I eventually realized that that was a pleasant lie to tell myself; people were just different, and I was only trying to shore up my self-esteem with false superiority. This was only half true. The real truth is far worse: the dirty unkempt horde, the lowest common denominator, is real, devoid of anything worthy of respect, stampeding around inside the boundaries it creates for itself, a headless creation driven equally by the allure of comfortable complacency and the fear of change and the unknown. And among that horde is a dirty elitist, not by choice but of necessity, judging every appendage of that brutal mob and finding it lacking. He tries to think that they're all good inside, because in that way he might be saved. Different upbringing, different background, different perceptions, different maps – but deep down he knows that for some things there is no excuse. Sometimes, he posts on the internet.
OTOH, knowing that - while you aren't perfect - you have your shit together far more than the monkeys around you may be elitism, but it doesn't make it not true.
:mittens:
this is the best piece i have read in a while. srsly.
:mittens: "It's only arrogance if you're wrong"
I was honestly thinking about doing a rant on elitism, but this is 10,000x better than what I would have written.
I would like to add, though, that the tricky part comes in stopping yourself from becoming so bitter and jaded that you assume no one is capable of self-improvement. You can rob yourself of a lot of good times by writing everyone off, unless you're Roger, in which case that approach seems to work pretty well.
Quote from: Golden Applesauce on June 27, 2008, 04:49:26 AM
Here's the tricky part: it's impossible not to judge him. He's an ass. You don't want to look down on him but you can't help it because he's debased himself so much that any other perspective is impossible. Surely there must be some circumstance that justify the seeming stinking morass of alleged humanity at the next desk. But then you learn more about the person, and there isn't. The reason that the twenty year old girl is a single mother of three working a temp job isn't that she misjudged the character of a man, thinking he would stay beside her, but that she never expected any of her men to stick with her very long, and there were certainly a lot more than three; she's in the temp job because she never put any effort into education, and she'll soon lose the temp job because she isn't putting any effort into this one either. The kid who throws trash in a theater, not leaving it accidentally, fully knowing that somebody else will just have to clean it up and replies “because I'm a gangsta, yo” when you ask him why. The manager who insists that you be on time, never as late as a minute to work or from breaks, and never check your cellphone to see if it might be the daycare calling to let you know that your son has just been hospitalized – and then is never prepared for work herself, making you wait hours sitting in a dark cubicle while she figures out whatever it was she was going to train you on today. The man who writes a letter to the editor congratulating network teevee on casting swarthy actors as terrorists in the latest drama, saying they have courage to “show terrorists who look like real terrorists.” The adults who have nominally gone through the college system but still figure that you must be some kind of an incredible genius because you used advanced phrases like “cause and effect” in an explanation.
I fricken love this paragraph
:thumb:
Good post, except for one thing:
"Elite" doesn't mean "arrogant", or "enlightened"; That's a right-wing ploy used to quietly discredit meritocracy while paying lip service to it.
To be "elite" in something means you're among the best at whatever it is you're doing. Personally, I would prefer an doctor in the top 10% in his recovery rates than the bottom 10%.
Thought-provoking piece. The term "elitism" has many different connotations. It's meaning varies slightly with different usage.
Wikipedia says:
Elitism is the belief or attitude that those individuals who are considered members of the elite — a select group of people with outstanding personal abilities, intellect, wealth, specialized training or experience, or other distinctive attributes — are those whose views on a matter are to be taken the most seriously or carry the most weight; whose views and/or actions are most likely to be constructive to society as a whole; or whose extraordinary skills, abilities or wisdom render them especially fit to govern [1].
Whenever I get real in depth reading about ideologies (like Elitism) I can't help but chuckle a bit about how ridiculous ideologies are when taken really seriously. I find it a bit unsettling when I see people easily dismiss the negative connotations of elitism, as if being "truly elite" justifies "elite status". It seems to me that the "truly elite" don't require social elevation, but necessitate it by definition. I'm just going with my gut here. Confidence, rather than arrogance, seems to be a more positive form of Elitism in which the emotional focus is directed at one's own lack of certain limitations without the need to make a value judgement on others. Maybe that's no longer elitism though... What we're talking about here is another label, so it's ridiculous to speak literally as if there really are "Elitists" out there. Individuals might fit the profile, but to approach individuals with the sole label of Elite or Non-Elite is to fail to see the individual.
Glad I read this, cuz it got me interested in reading about Pluralism and Populism and some other terms I'm not real familiar with. LMNO's definition seems a drastic oversimplification, although that is one possible interpretation. Negatively, one recognizes elitism when one observes someone acting snobby and arrogant. I might make more interesting, creative, and complicated music than another schmuck, but focusing on HIS inability to produce an Elite quality of music, as I view my own, seems a tremendous waste of attention. Even if his music is absolutely terrible, and everyone I know agrees, correlating that observation (opinion) with my own value as a musician pushes me straight into an Ego trap. Well, really, making a value judgement on myself, instead of examining the thing I'm making, seems a waste of time. If I make music and it is crap, and I think it's crap, does that mean something about me? Did I enjoy making it? Am I enjoying myself right now? Value judgements are useful, but all too often, they get in the way. You are every bit as non-elite to one person as you are elite to another, and seeing yourself as one or the other limits you, I think.
I am much more interested, to echo Huxley, in looking at what I am NOT, then what I am, because the first is easier to see clearly.
GA, I really like how you've mentioned several times that you assume the best in people. Sorry, I'm out of fuel and have to get back to work, so I'm gonna do as I usually do, and ramble myself into nonsense. For some reason though, I thought of Wilson's "Winner's Scripts" just now, so I'm gonna link them. :)
http://blacksunrisingpylon.blogspot.com/2008/06/eight-basic-winner-scripts-by-robert.html (http://blacksunrisingpylon.blogspot.com/2008/06/eight-basic-winner-scripts-by-robert.html)
1. This is one instance where using Wikipedia definitions does not help your case.
2. You're using opinions as your baseline measure in your music example; that makes the "elite" term subjective and therefore invalid.
But isn't the entire discussion based on opinions? In another person's view, it may be that the people GA refers to as 'trash' are operating under a different set of priorities, which would invalidate his opinion of them. I tend to think there are a few priorities which ought to be universally recognized. I share GA's ambivalence toward the short-sighted disposable society of the masses, but that doesn't mean it's anything more than an opinion.
True. Perhaps I wasn't being clear-- the rant makes sense, except for applying the term "elite" to it.
He seems to be talking about arrogance, self-entitlement, delusion, and snobbery; being among the best at what you do doesn't seem to be a part of that.
I took it as being half sarcastic/ironic... he tries like hell to avoid the pitfall of arrogance and "elitism," but it turns out he actually is among the elite, after all.
I'm sure everyone here (including myself) may exhibit elitist behavior at some point or another. Besides, didn't I call everyone an elitist already? (<--Daruko's dry humor again, WATCH OUT!) Why exactly do you think this place has been called the "ivory tower", after all? Discordian Elitism = Horrormirth.
But Vexation: Why are you calling me an elitist exactly? You want to point to a specific elitist statement or are you just flinging shit? Cuz um, I think I talked about how no one is really an "Elitist". Did you catch that part?
LMNO: Arrogance, self-entitlement, delusion, and snobbery are all forms of Elitism. "Being the best at what you do" is ONE very NARROW definition of an Elitist, and not the first one that comes to mind, I think, for most. A "Fag" is a fucking cigarette, but that's not how we Americans use it. I suppose a homosexual could convince himself that a fag is a cigarette, so when people call them a fag, they can pretend it doesn't have to do with their sexuality, but in my experience, generally when the word elitism is brought up, we're talking about someone with a superiority complex. I think a danger in putting a specifically positive spin on that term without the negative is that you end up with Big Ego's who look down on other people, and say, "Hey! I'm just elite at what I do. They're just non-elite at what I do.. there's nothing WRONG with saying that!" ...just seems like an excuse to be an arrogant asshole at a certain point, I thinks. Who is to judge the elite and the non-elite? Who is not judging? Who is more elite at posting? Who is the MOST elite poster on PD? I mean, we're just talking about skills here..... right?
:mittens:
Well done, Ms. Applesauce. The message is clear, the writing crisp, and you put it into vivid context.
Durk: Again, you're using a right-wing definition used to denigrate people who use things like "facts" and "evidence" to support their claims.
If you want to keep empowering the Bush Administration, I won't stop you; [erhaps you'd also like to hold forth on why Terrorists Hate Our Freedoms?
Quote from: LMNO on June 27, 2008, 06:58:59 PM
Durk: Again, you're using a right-wing definition used to denigrate people who use things like "facts" and "evidence" to support their claims.
If you want to keep empowering the Bush Administration, I won't stop you; [erhaps you'd also like to hold forth on why Terrorists Hate Our Freedoms?
Wut?
Never mind, dummy; just keep parroting Hannity.
So you've decided that one tiny tiny narrow possible interpretation of that word is THE definition of that word, despite the fact that any encyclopedia or dictionary will offer various other definitions... and that any other usage of that word than the one that you use is supporting right-wing propaganda? LOLOLOLOL Dood, seriously, I know you think I'm stupid, but think about what you're saying for a second. And google Elitism for goddess sake.
Just an FYI, while I give you leeway, and recognize the word can be used that way, I have never met anyone in my life that used that word the way you do. I guess all my friends and associates are right-wing propagandists too.
IT'S THE CONSPIRACY!!! You support the war on terrorism if you associate the word Elitist with arrogance and snobbery! :lulz:
seriously FUCK OFF you fucking ELITIST pricks... fuck you don't understand me at all
Quote from: Daruko on June 27, 2008, 07:43:34 PM
So you've decided that one tiny tiny narrow possible interpretation of that word is THE definition of that word, despite the fact that any encyclopedia or dictionary will offer various other definitions... and that any other usage of that word than the one that you use is supporting right-wing propaganda? LOLOLOLOL Dood, seriously, I know you think I'm stupid, but think about what you're saying for a second. And google Elitism for goddess sake.
Just an FYI, while I give you leeway, and recognize the word can be used that way, I have never met anyone in my life that used that word the way you do. I guess all my friends and associates are right-wing propagandists too.
IT'S THE CONSPIRACY!!! You support the war on terrorism if you associate the word Elitist with arrogance and snobbery! :lulz:
Yeah, pretty much, you ignorant douchebag; I guess you think if it's on the internet, it must be true, right?
Quote from: Cain on June 27, 2008, 07:48:29 PM
seriously FUCK OFF you fucking ELITIST pricks... fuck you don't understand me at all
Um... late to the punch there Cain. I already referenced that quote.
So you guys would rather fling shit than use facts? Hmm... Well, suit yourself. Quite ironic.
Here's a few definitions for you :wink:
Dictionary.com:1. practice of or belief in rule by an elite.
2. consciousness of or pride in belonging to a select or favored group.
1. The belief that certain persons or members of certain classes or groups deserve favored treatment by virtue of their perceived superiority, as in intellect, social status, or financial resources.
2.
a. The sense of entitlement enjoyed by such a group or class.
b. Control, rule, or domination by such a group or class.
Wikipedia again:Elitism as a pejorative term
The term "elitism" or the title "elitist" can be used resentfully [1] by a person who is not a member of an elite, or is a member but resents the elite position or uses it in a condescending or cynical manner in order to ridicule or criticize practices which discriminate on the basis of ability or attributes. Often, such as in politics, it used to describe persons as out of touch with the common people. The implication is that the "elitist" person or group thinks they are better than everyone else, and therefore put themselves before others. It could be seen as a synonym for snob. An elitist is not always seen as truly elite, but only privileged. This use is often employed in politics in societies where social equality is valued, and the middle and lower classes have political power.
Rogets II: ThesaurusNOUN: One who despises people or things regarded as inferior, especially because of social or intellectual pretension: snob. Informal : snoot. See ATTITUDE, SELF-LOVE.
ADJECTIVE: Characteristic of or resembling a snob: snobbish, snobby. Informal : high-hat, snooty, stuck-up, uppish, uppity. See ATTITUDE, SELF-LOVE.
Thesaurus.reference.com on searching "Elitist"Main Entry: snobbish
Part of Speech: adjective
Definition: Characteristic of or resembling a snob.
Synonyms: snobby
and finally:
Moby Thesaurus words for "elitist": Brahmin, U, aristocratic, dictatorial, egghead, high and mighty,
highbrow, highbrowed, hubristic, imperious, intellectual,
intellectualistic, lordly, magisterial, mandarin, masterful,
name-dropper, prig, snob, tufthunter
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Now if you're looking for a word that refers to your uber skills, there's already a great word for that, and I myself use it all the time: L33T!
But hell, preach on brothers! Fight the conspiracy! :fnord:
Quote from: Daruko on June 27, 2008, 08:13:49 PM
Quote from: Cain on June 27, 2008, 07:48:29 PM
seriously FUCK OFF you fucking ELITIST pricks... fuck you don't understand me at all
Um... late to the punch there Cain. I already referenced that quote.
I'm busy, I can't be everywhere at once.
Different words mean different things to different people, but Daruko seems to have the meaning I was thinking of when I wrote this.
Quote from: LMNO on June 27, 2008, 06:07:07 PM
He seems to be talking about arrogance, self-entitlement, delusion, and snobbery; being among the best at what you do doesn't seem to be a part of that.
True, true. It's just easier to be arrogant when you are the best at what you do.
Being a member of the elite doesn't necessarily make you an Elitist. Populism is 1984s "If there is hope it lies in the proletariat." Elitism is whatever lies at the opposite end of that spectrum - the proletariat are all worthless sheep so we should focus on finding the others. Everybody would rather go to the doctor in the top 10% of his class; the difference is that elitist sees the other 90% as a drain on society while the populist sees the other 90% as the bedrock of society. My problem is that thinking of everybody else as a waste of space is incompatible with trying to forge relationships with other people, but a lot of people really are a waste of space. One extreme is simply wishful thinking, and the other extreme just leads to hate and meagerness of spirit.
Quote from: Daruko on June 27, 2008, 08:13:49 PM
So you guys would rather fling shit than use facts?
Durk, we're all monkeys here (except for the apes.) Throwing shit is what we
do.
Quote from: Golden Applesauce on June 28, 2008, 02:03:18 AM
My problem is that thinking of everybody else as a waste of space is incompatible with trying to forge relationships with other people, but a lot of people really are a waste of space.
QFT
Quote from: LMNO on June 27, 2008, 08:11:35 PM
Quote from: Daruko on June 27, 2008, 07:43:34 PM
So you've decided that one tiny tiny narrow possible interpretation of that word is THE definition of that word, despite the fact that any encyclopedia or dictionary will offer various other definitions... and that any other usage of that word than the one that you use is supporting right-wing propaganda? LOLOLOLOL Dood, seriously, I know you think I'm stupid, but think about what you're saying for a second. And google Elitism for goddess sake.
Just an FYI, while I give you leeway, and recognize the word can be used that way, I have never met anyone in my life that used that word the way you do. I guess all my friends and associates are right-wing propagandists too.
IT'S THE CONSPIRACY!!! You support the war on terrorism if you associate the word Elitist with arrogance and snobbery! :lulz:
Yeah, pretty much, you ignorant douchebag; I guess you think if it's on the internet, it must be true, right?
You know, if the foundation of this whole argument is in the minutia of its language, its worth pointing out the extreme mutability of English itself. Consider that English is probably one of the most bastardized languages to begin with (that english is even thought of as a germanic language at this point is even a point of contention), not to mention that terms in English are constantly shaped, and redefined, by their popular usage... it really makes this argument seem kind of ridiculous from a 3rd person point of view.
HTML Mencken of Sadly, No! has actually made a good argument (well, several really) against what is commonly called the liberal elite. Of course, Golden Applesauce's post is about people who actually ARE elite, not just people who THINK they are. And that's an important distinction.
What is often called the liberal elite or latte-sipping intellectuals or whatever term you want to use, usually are NOT. They're supposedly 'central' in their politics, yet when scrutinized they are in fact neoliberals in their economics (Thomas Friedman) and neoconservatives in their foreign policy (uh...Thomas Friedman again).
Now, I don't know about you, but I'd consider someone to be an elite member of society if they actually held and promoted views that had any fucking basis in reality or in accordance with how things really work. Given the failure of Neoliberal economics (Walmart sends its thanks, Clinton!) and the failure of neoconservative foreign policy (unilateralism and unending war is no longer this season's black) I would say these people were....fucking morons. They're shills, apologists for the power structure. And the power structure of contemporary society is not meritocratic, so it would be wrong to call the people at the top the elite.
In fact, thanks to wingnut welfare - that is, billionaire nutcases like Richard Mellon Scaife - you can be a complete and utter moron bereft of any serious consideration and yet STILL somehow become a top media personality. Admittedly this usually applies to the far-right, to the Malkin's and Jonah Goldberg's....but these sort of people prefer the "liberal elite" to actually people who know what the fuck they are talking about, because these "elitists" will meet them halfway when it comes to their policies, no matter how fucking insane they are. For all their BAAAAAAAAWING about elitists, the GOP and its media whores exist in an entirely symbiotic relationship to them, where they are used to fleece policies to the supposed left-wing of the political spectrum (never mind anyone left of Vlaclav Havel would be denounced as a Communist scumbag who hates America) who will then go on to adopt these ideas.
These people aren't actual elitists because, as I have made clear, they are clueless idiots and nothing more than the nice, "human" face of the system of control that exists within America. However, by conflating the two, the GOP can appeal to a sort of crude populism that, in actuality, used to be more supportive of the left because of economic issues. Why would an Iowan farmer support the party behind GATT and NAFTA, for example? Sure, the GOP aren't any better, but at least they appeal to these guys on their social conservativism. The Democrats in America have nothing, precisely because these "elitists" who know nothing about economics have bought into the same free market bullshit the GOP have, but additionally act contrary to this social conservativism, by promoting gay rights, abortion etc. The funny thing is, these guys would probably overlook that if it was benefitting them economically to do so.
Anyway, this is getting tl;dr so I'll sum it up:
'elitism' per se is not exactly an issue. The so-called 'liberal elite' in America are, because they are apologists for destructive right-wing policies.
yep, i just use the every day practical variation of the term. the one that every single kid in school knew, the one in all those dictionaries.. yes the very same one that an arrogant stuck up prick would prefer NOT to associate himself with, if he was capable of understanding it's common application outside of mainstream political ideologies.
i could give a shit less about America's "liberal elite", "conservative elite", "discordian elite" or any political brainwiping that causes people to no longer associate words/concepts with their historical definitions, except where they are compatible with currently maintained ideologies. Most often, an elitist in my mind is a dumb arrogant shit who refuses to question their opinions, and relies upon their presumed social status as the basis of their self-image. When I think Elitist, I think of people LIKE Hannedy and Limbaugh, because they're snobby social ego-freaks who maintain their unquestionable dogmas not even through rational argument, but by attack the social standing of anyone with an alternate viewpoint.
Sound familiar? Of course it does, because we're talking about a label; one that all too often describes behaviour from you and from me, and from anyone we please. That's why people don't typically like to be called an Elitist. Fortunately, people aren't REALLY limited to the labels we attach to them, and only fools take themselves seriously when ascribing a predicate to a people.
As I mentioned before, the term can be used positively as in "I am an elite gamer," just as one might use the word "gay" to declare one's good spirits. However, most people I know wouldn't actually use the word "Elitist" to describe themselves, any more than they would say "I'm gay" just because they're in a good mood. Obviously words don't have single objective definitions, so I wouldn't argue MY interpretation of the word as a popular term all that strongly... usually. Of course, when on a forum where people supposedly don't take beliefs all that seriously, someone shouts on about [if this word means this to you then you are DEFINITLY a drone of the GOP], I can't help but to challenge it.
:gheyforum:
Quote from: Daruko on June 30, 2008, 04:42:16 PMi could give a shit less about America's "liberal elite", "conservative elite", "discordian elite" or any political brainwiping that causes people to no longer associate words/concepts with their historical definitions
Well its a good thing your approval has nothing to do with what I post then, isn't it?
Oh sorry, you thought I was talking to
you? :lol:
Like I was talking to YUO!!!
\
(http://i210.photobucket.com/albums/bb94/smnmntl/snob.jpg)
You know Daruko, your humour would be much more convincing if, you know, you didn't act like exactly that sort of douchebag 99% of the time.
Quote from: Daruko on June 30, 2008, 05:00:52 PM
Like I was talking to YUO!!!
\
(http://i210.photobucket.com/albums/bb94/smnmntl/snob.jpg)
difference is, Cain is
elite [in some ways], this guy's an
elitist.
Quote from: triple zero on June 30, 2008, 08:21:35 PM
difference is, Cain is elite [in some ways], this guy's an elitist.
NO THEY ARE THE SAME THING YOU BUSH SUPPORTER!!!
Quote from: Daruko on June 30, 2008, 08:28:13 PM
Quote from: triple zero on June 30, 2008, 08:21:35 PM
difference is, Cain is elite [in some ways], this guy's an elitist.
NO THEY ARE THE SAME THING YOU BUSH SUPPORTER!!!
:kingmeh:
Quote from: Daruko on June 30, 2008, 08:28:13 PM
Quote from: triple zero on June 30, 2008, 08:21:35 PM
difference is, Cain is elite [in some ways], this guy's an elitist.
NO THEY ARE THE SAME THING YOU BUSH SUPPORTER!!!
what?
you're suggesting i support your crazy leader? :lulz:
Quote from: triple zero on June 30, 2008, 09:09:15 PM
Quote from: Daruko on June 30, 2008, 08:28:13 PM
Quote from: triple zero on June 30, 2008, 08:21:35 PM
difference is, Cain is elite [in some ways], this guy's an elitist.
NO THEY ARE THE SAME THING YOU BUSH SUPPORTER!!!
what?
you're suggesting i support your crazy leader? :lulz:
no i was making fun of LMNO still. sorry ya missed that one. :wink:
i was looking in the dictionary today, and i found this entry amusing...
word (werd) n. - A collection of audible noises used by Humans when there are no chains or knives readily available.
Quote from: vexati0n on July 01, 2008, 05:04:12 AM
i was looking in the dictionary today, and i found this entry amusing...
word (werd) n. - A collection of audible noises used by Humans when there are no chains or knives readily available.
:lulz:
:mittens:
That is major :lulz:
Now I want to get that dictionary.
We should totally put together our own dictionary with this kind of stuff.
Quote from: Verbatim on July 01, 2008, 09:20:32 AM
We should totally put together our own dictionary with this kind of stuff.
The sheer lechery of LMNO would skew such an endeavor this (http://www.amazon.com/gp/reader/155152063X/ref=sib_dp_pt#reader-link) direction.
Quote from: Verbatim on July 01, 2008, 09:20:32 AM
We should totally put together our own dictionary with this kind of stuff.
better might be an actual dictionary with the occasional extra meaning stuffed in
I believe Ambrose Bierce has beaten you all to this amusing suggestion.
Quote from: Cain on July 01, 2008, 12:00:11 PM
I believe Ambrose Bierce has beaten you all to this amusing suggestion.
The Devils Dictionary is pretty good, and still culturally relevant.
That was powerful, poignant and potently purposeful. I wish I could do that. Srsly. Elitism is angry, white men (and wimmin) with little to no morals (and that's been proven scientifically - there actually are more sociopathic types in power. See: http://greatergood.berkeley.edu/greatergood/current_issue/keltner.html. Another "Is it the chicken or is it the egg?" writing). Good job on this! Although, now i have to change my quote...
;)
Man, that'd be an awesome GASM,
add/alter a few definitions in a large dictionary, OED for instance, such that at least one edition, hopefully more, have our fucked up messages in it.
We may need to find someone with some level of power in the dictionary industry though.
Another thing you can do is set up a website like Dictionary.com, which aggregates information from several trustworthy sources, and just manipulate it to give a slightly twisted definition of certain words.