Euphemisms

Euphemisms are words or phrases that soften the reality of negative notions. They run rampant in every aspect of today’s society and culture. They aren’t an evolution of a language, they are intentional choices. They are not meant for formalities. They are a tool to misguide audiences by politicians, administrators, and anyone else who gains to benefit from hiding the truth. In extreme cases, they can remove any meaning from a statement full stop. A similar concept is doublespeak. While euphemisms hide the negatives of ideas, doublespeak hides the truth of an idea. Derived from Orwell’s newspeak and doublethink, it combines the two to perfectly describe the mangled and dishonest nature of new language. Commonly, doublespeak is used to present one idea as another.

Here are some common examples of euphemisms

Shell Shock → Post Traumatic Stress Disorder

Blind → Visually impaired

Handicapped → Differently Abled

Homeless → Unhoused

Poor → Economically disadvantaged

Needy → Underprivileged

Mortgages that will not be repaid → Subprime Mortgages

After reading these examples, what do you take away? “There were 10 casualties” sounds much more pleasant than “Ten people died.” “The economically disadvantaged live in underprivileged communities” sounds better “The poor are needy.” “Many returning soldiers suffer from PTSD,” sounds better than “The war veterans now have problems with their brain.” And certainly, “The city has a large unhoused population” sounds better than “There are a lot of homeless people in the city.”

Here are some common examples of doublespeak

Tell → Indicate

Project → Initiative

War → Military Operation

UN Soldiers → Peacekeepers

Lie → Misinformation

A simple statement like, “The army mistakenly fired artillery shells on an apartment complex filled with civilians,” can be turned into, “There was collateral damage incurred during the course of the military’s operation.” People wonder, “What is collateral damage? Is it damage on the army, or on a building?” It shifts the focus from killed civilians to the apartment building.

In essence, this type of language is something everyone should be watchful for. It is deliberate. It hides the truth. So, see how many euphemisms and doublespeak examples you can find.