Episode Details

What happens when our words get too soft—or too sharp—to tell the truth? In this episode, we explore the modern battle over language through the twin lenses of euphemism and exaggeration. Drawing on George Orwell’s warnings about political speech that hides brutality behind phrases like “transfer of population,” we look at how today’s discourse still blurs reality with foggy abstractions such as “unfolding violence.” But there’s a new problem too: the dysphemism treadmill, where once-grave terms like “white supremacy” or “genocide” are deployed so broadly that they risk losing their meaning altogether. We unpack how these distortions warp public understanding—and why choosing clear, vivid, accurate language remains a moral act in describing the world as it truly is.

https://www.economist.com/culture/2023/11/23/euphemism-and-exaggeration-are-both-dangers-to-language