Ubiquitous Terms

[Bolshevik]

I was thinking of how "believing" was a word used everywhere . . . to the point that it had no real meaning (I'm believingly believing to believe believing bigger.) . . . I think there's another thread on it.

Terms like "The Word" and "spiritual" were also used in a similar manner. What other words were used? Was there and aim to reduce vocabulary?

[waysider]

Jargon is a common characteristic of cults and exclusive groups. It lets the participants feel they have special knowledge, an edge over the outsider.

(If you had spent more time in S.I.T. with your lift list, you would have already realized this.)

[Raf]

A few weeks ago my cousin accused me on Facebook of worshipping Satan.

His proof was that I capitalized "Satan."

This is cultish behavior: inventing an arbitrary rule and then judging others for failing to adhere to it.

This is what we did when we chastised people for saying "Good luck."

[outandabout]

Or "Don't worry about it." That one really got people going. Or "I hope so." So nice to just be able to speak English now.

I just read Leah Remini's book about her time in Scientology and how she left. I kept getting this nagging feeling that it all seemed so familiar. It was so much like TWI: the jargon, the threats of bad things happening if you leave, the constant demands to measure up, the different levels of spirituality.

She said that she reached this really high level and realized she was still the same. Kind of like going through the Corps. They had all these classes to take, like us, that would advance you to some other level.

[Bolshevik]

good points . . .

I'm wondering if there was a trend to reduce vocabulary . . . simplify communication and expression? Did anyone think that?

[Ham]

Part of the problem was viewed as to make vocabulary well defined. Once it is well defined, it is dead.

[Ham]

Euclid was well aware of this

[Oakspear]

I don't think it was an aim to reduce vocabulary, but rather to control it, and force people's thinking along certain lines.

"Household" was another over-used word, albeit later, not so much pre-Martindale. How about "Blessed" and "Bless you"? (Hah! I remember a woman telling me once that she was going to perform a certain sex act "to bless me".) :dance:/>

What else? "Lifted" instead of "prayed for"; "renew your mind"; the use of blue-form initials, like always calling abundant sharing "ABS"

[GeorgeStGeorge]

Hah! I remember a woman telling me once that she was going to perform a certain sex act "to bless me".

Well, did it bless you? :lol:

George