[Lexicog] buzzwords and fuzzwords: embiggen and debiggen

[Fritz Goerling]

A Proactive Paradigm Shift
Embiggens
our Understanding.
http://www.geocities.com/scimah/index.html

 

Buzzwords and fuzzwords

Krusty: So he's proactive, huh?

Lady: Oh, God, yes. We're talking about a totally outrageous paradigm.

Writer: Excuse me, but 'proactive' and 'paradigm'? Aren't these just
buzzwords that dumb people use to sound important? Not that I'm accusing you
of anything like that. .....[pause].....   I'm fired, aren't I?

Myers: Oh, yes!  -  The rest of you writers start  thinking up a name for
this funky dog; I dunno, something along the line of say... Poochie, only
more proactive.

-The Simpsons

Science, religion and spirituality - a new paradigm

Many a true word is spoken in jest. 

Anyone who surfs the web for science/mind/spirituality articles can't fail
to be impressed by the number of times the word 'paradigm' appears, and that
its frequency seems to be inversely related to the information content of
the article, especially when used in conjunction with 'new' or 'shift'.  

Does the use of 'Paradigm'  debiggen our vocabulary?

The p-word is used so frequently because it serves two purposes:

*         An excuse for lazy thinking 

*         A cover for vague and ill-formed theories.

In both cases 'paradigm' is used where a more cromulent word would
immediately reveal the vacuity of the ideas being presented.   

The p-word is used in place of: analogy, conceptual framework, example,
symbol, pattern, metaphor, method, model,  simulation etc. 'Paradigm' causes
especial confusion where it starts with one meaning and then ends up with
another. (A favorite trick is to start the article with an analogy and
embiggen it to claim that one has found some deep underlying model of
reality).

Within science, the terms model and simulation have very definite meanings
and require the production of verifiable algorithms and
<http://www.geocities.com/scimah/Algorithms.htm>  datastructures, which
predict the behavior of the phenomena under investigation. Those phenomena
which cannot in principle be simulated in this way are, and for ever will
be, outside the scope of scientific investigation (see non-algorithmic
<http://www.geocities.com/scimah/Nonalgorithmic.htm>  phenomena).

Paradigm shift
Hopefully the Simpsons' satire may persuade writers to be more proactive
about the use of buzzwords and fuzzwords, and perhaps we can look forward to
the day when no new paradigms are being produced.  

This does however raise the question of what to do with all the old
paradigms that have passed their sell-by date.   How do you shift these
paradigms?  Should you store them away in the paradigmatic, or donate them
to the needy?  (Buddy, can you spare a paradigm?)

- Sean Robsville

Return to <http://www.geocities.com/scimah/argumentsagainstbuddhism.htm>
Sanity (alternatively visit the SCIENCE WARS PAGE
<http://www.geocities.com/scimah/postmodernism.htm> complete with link to
Postmodernism Generator, or czech out the spelling and
<http://www.geocities.com/scimah/dearestcreature.htm>  pronunciation guide)



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