this post was submitted on 16 Dec 2024
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Using ableist language as insults is always bad, even if the words seem innocuous. Some may reference the "euphemism treadmill" to try to justify their behavior, but it's crucial to understand that the treadmill is merely a linguistic observation. It does not exist to normalize ableist behavior.

what is the euphemism treadmill for those who dont want to google

more reading if bored

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[–] [email protected] 12 points 5 days ago (1 children)

Can't wait till neurodivergent becomes the new slur and we invent a new word to describe it so people use that instead of a slur which then becomes the new slur so we invent another new word to describe it so people use that instead of a slur which then ...

[–] [email protected] 5 points 5 days ago

i hope instead the cycle could be broken in some way. :/ other folks in the thread are pointing out that ND is a term created by its own community, which could add to its resilience. i hope they are right!

[–] [email protected] 36 points 6 days ago (3 children)

I’ve been thinking about how we call people “right-handed” and “left-handed” instead of “handedness-typical” and “handedness-divergent”

[–] [email protected] 16 points 6 days ago (1 children)

sinister used to just mean left handed!

[–] [email protected] 5 points 6 days ago

Didn't know that one, it's a nice one.

[–] [email protected] 14 points 6 days ago

actually GOATED INSIGHT my friend keep it up

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[–] [email protected] 28 points 6 days ago (1 children)

Idk man, a good chunk of these are just sorta not that associated with their origins anymore. A lot of insults are historically demeaning towards certain groups (especially poor people).

[–] [email protected] 12 points 6 days ago (2 children)

as always, act everything considering the window of present you are in. “idiot” means a lot less offense today than it did back in the day.

[–] [email protected] 4 points 6 days ago

Reasonable.

[–] [email protected] 2 points 6 days ago

I agree. "idiot-proof" is a common term in the design industry and it's somewhat synonymous with accessibility, fault tolerance, and resilience.

[–] [email protected] 5 points 5 days ago (2 children)

There are limited examples of this effect working in reverse. Take the word "Nice" for example. Nice back in ye old medieval times used to be a synonym for "stupid" or "simple" so saying someone was "nice" was insulting. Then there was this prolonged long fad where things being very plain and straightforward was considered a good thing and "Nice/simple" gained a positive connotation. Saying someone is "simple" or a "simpleton" retains this original sort of vibe but "Nice" now just means pleasant.

[–] [email protected] 1 points 12 hours ago

The more I learn about words, the less they make sense.

[–] [email protected] 1 points 5 days ago

huh TIL thank you! 😊

[–] [email protected] 22 points 1 week ago (1 children)

today i learned that 'cretin' has ableist origins. just hearing the word, and being completely unaware of its origins, i assumed it had racist origins and was somehow related to the isle of crete.

apparently 'cretinism' is an old-timey word for congenital iodine deficiency syndrome.

[–] [email protected] 7 points 6 days ago

okay wow TIL too! i was just pulling from memory and a few online examples but i never dove into the specific histories of that particular word!

[–] [email protected] 9 points 6 days ago (1 children)

Just about any term that refers to someone else can be used as an insult!

So as the old saying goes "offense is taken, not given". If you want to be insulted, you will be.

I find, people who insult others are saying more about their own character, than that of the target.

[–] [email protected] 2 points 5 days ago

You would think that, you pencil...

[–] [email protected] 14 points 6 days ago (1 children)

seeing as ableist terms are always rooted in previously uncontroversial medical terms i propose the term "the swag ones"

[–] [email protected] 8 points 6 days ago

just got diagnosed with cool guy syndrom so now i take.. adderall

[–] [email protected] 9 points 6 days ago (2 children)

how is special needs ableist?

[–] [email protected] 22 points 6 days ago

Anything is ableist if that's the intention is to be ableist. "Cognitive impairment" or "Brain damage" are clinical terms, but if one decides they can also be ableist insults.

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[–] [email protected] 7 points 6 days ago (2 children)

du hast doch lack gesoffen "idiot", "neurodivergent" & "lame" als abelism zu bezeichnen.

was so angry/disappointed in that post that i couldn't get the message across with English.

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[–] [email protected] 6 points 6 days ago (1 children)
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[–] [email protected] 2 points 5 days ago

Who are you to tell me which words I can and cannot use? You can judge my intent, not my vocabulary. Im asking for permission to smoke and swear.

[–] [email protected] 6 points 6 days ago (23 children)

Shouldn't this, then, extend to all implications of stupidity in behavior, not just individual words?

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[–] [email protected] 5 points 6 days ago (1 children)
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