The Power of Words
Hippotomonstrosesquippedaliophobia
(Pardon? Hippo what?)
I recently came across this word. My initial response was of bemusement, quickly followed by an image of hippos, geared-up and ready for battle. I then had more thoughts along the lines of ‘What does that really mean? I’m sure it’s not a phobia of geared-up hippos. It’s like a dinosaur name which I have to break down into small parts to try and pronounce. I’ll have to Google it….’
This is what I found:
Hippotomonstrosesquippedaliophobia
n. fear of very long words
The ridiculous length and time it took me to pronounce the word made me smile. The irony of its meaning made me laugh out loud. (I also really wanted to hear the synthesised voice in Microsoft Word pronounce it, hence why I started writing this post!) However, beneath my giggling is a serious point about words; words are powerful tools which we wield around like axes at times. And yet, words are really only sticks which point to something. They can only go so far in describing our experiences, our feelings and our thoughts. Words are inherently limiting and subject to interpretation; they can be loaded, have different connotations, be received differently, create bias, persuade or even coerce.
I’m curious what your response to the word hippotomonstrosesquippedaliophobia is. Are you somewhere similar to me, with eyes skipping over it in a ‘what on earth is that?’ kind of way, or do you go to something more like ‘I can’t read that’, ‘I can’t pronounce that’. Do you move towards feeling ‘not OK’ with this word?
I remained feeling ‘OK’ when I read this word, but then I love words and learning about their etymology. My education was heavily weighted on the written word (grammar school, university). I feel comfortable with and enjoy the written word. And yet, I can still feel intimidated by words and the way they are used, the person who is using them and the seriousness which I perceive them to convey. I can and do move between feeling ‘OK’ and ‘not OK’ because of the words used to point to something.
If we think about mental health, even the words ‘mental health’ have stigma attached to them, potentially invoking fear and shame. What comes to your mind when you hear the words ‘mental health’? Is it an illness, a frightening problem, with images of people on the periphery of society, of institutions and danger? Or is it more along the lines of this being part of the ups-and-downs of life, images of numerous people in society, each under a heavy cloud of stress and overwhelm? Perhaps you’re somewhere in the middle?
How does it feel when you read these words to describe ‘mental health’?
Psychological wellbeing
Emotional stuff
The s**t that goes on in your head.
Does it feel less intimidating to hear mental health described as ‘the s**t that goes on in your head’?
Consider this description:
“The depressogenic processes they exhibited were further exacerbated by impaired social and interpersonal functioning and significant sleep deprivation.”
How does it feel when you read the above statement written as this:
“They felt so down they’d turned away from their friends and family. They were exhausted because they weren’t sleeping. They were caught in a vicious circle which was making them feel more and more depressed.”
Or, to put it another way:
“They couldn’t face anyone. They couldn’t sleep. They felt like s**t.”
Whilst the words in the first statement aren’t particularly long, they are an example of more formal language. Formal language often involves the use of longer words. Of course, formal language, lengthy and complicated words all have their place. I don’t wish to trivialise the knowledge that comes from years of medical training, the insight into the complexities and subtle nuances that make us all unique and the intention behind trying to share information between professionals. (I can hear the words ‘reductionist thinking’ being flung in my direction already. And yes, I hear you). However, my point is this: words are powerful and need to be used with care. Words can cause us to feel ‘OK’ and ‘not OK’. When we’re talking about people’s mental health, this is particularly so. Whilst we are seeing improvements in the way mental health is talked about in society - it’s increasingly acceptable to talk about our feelings, our vulnerabilities, our struggles – our discourse around mental health is still steeped in medical thinking and medical terminology. And medicine, as a discipline, uses formal language.
The way in which we talk about mental health is so important. Our words are like sticks, pointing at something, describing an experience; they are not the experience. What we’re describing when we’re talking about people’s mental health is a human being and their suffering; we’re talking about how ‘OK’ and ‘not OK’ someone is feeling. However, often we’re trying to describe their suffering by pointing with a stick which is steeped in formal language. If we’re using sticks to point at someone’s experience, we don’t want to be inadvertently poking them. If formal language can cause us to feel ‘not OK’, perhaps it would be helpful if we all had a touch of hippotomonstrosesquippedaliophobia, or at least a greater consideration for the power of the words we use?
