The only cure for dysphemisms is to euthanize euphemisms. Is our purpose in life found by avoiding anything which might be offensive?
“For a moment she [Lara] rediscovered the purpose of her life. She was here on earth to grasp the meaning of its wild enchantment and to call each thing by its right name, or, if this were not within her power, to give birth out of love for life to successors who would do it in her place.” — Boris Pasternak, Doctor Zhivago
An ability to call each thing by its right name probably isn’t possible for those trapped in the fear of being perceived as lacking in empathy. What’s wrong with people who can’t see that it’s possible to have empathy, while at the same time avoiding the use of euphemisms?
“To call each thing by its right name. By its right name.” — Christopher McCandless, Into the Wild
Children don’t usually have a problem with saying things the way they are; nor do they with hearing things the way they are. The only time it becomes one is when they’ve learned how to intentionally be malicious with their phrases. Once they’ve discovered how much fun it is, they can become motivated to perfect those skills.
Euphemisms may be created with good intentions, but since human nature is as political is it is, there is nothing to stop these polite phrases from becoming abused.
Ironically, since Aspies naturally take things literal until taught otherwise, it’s the Aspies who get labeled as lacking in empathy because of not being accustomed to inventing terms for the purpose of avoiding offending neurotypicals.
If there is one thing neurotypicals need to understand more than anything else about Aspies it’s that we do not get offended by being told something straightforward the way it actually is. Euphemisms, for the most part, can be offensive to an Aspie → especially when NTs catch on to what fun it is being able to insult an Aspie without his or her awareness. Just because someone gets older, doesn’t mean s/he becomes more mature.
Here’s something to think about:
America accommodates Mexicans (most of which probably arrived illegally) by increasingly incorporating the Spanish language into the US. Why is it that gets accepted, but accomodations are not allowed for Aspies? What happens instead is Aspies are forced to endure dysphemisms such as: disorder, disease, disability, etc.
Being an Aspie doesn’t mean being too stupid to catch on to what’s going on. I’d like to know why, after all these years that Aspergers has now been public knowledge, NTs have not embraced a euphemism to honor neurodiversity. Could it be because it’s true that NTs don’t want to honor neurodiversity?
