Nicknames
Maybe it's a guy thing, but I just love nicknames. I hardly ever call anyone by their given name. If you're female, I've probably called you 'babe' on many occasions. If you're male, you've probably been 'dude' a time or two. Sometimes, I'll refer to you by your last name. Sometimes, it will be some perversion of your first name - the first letter standing alone, maybe the first syllable. Of course, there are times when someone's name won't lend itself to a nickname. In such instances, I've noticed that I don't call them anything at all. It's amazing how much time you can spend with someone without ever giving them a direct address.
But this tendency extends not only to people, but things I do. In poker, I talk about holding 'Cowboys' or 'Ladies' or 'Jakes' or 'Bullets.' In basketball, I shoot the 'trey' or a '3-ball.' Of course, I didnt come up with these nicknames, they were given to me by guys like me. It says something about one's familiarity with a person or topic or pastime to use the right name in the right situation. It's as though there were a whole underground language only understood by insiders.
Of course, we find this to be the case not only with our personal lives, but also with our professional lives. Indeed, doctors and lawyers often get criticisms for having a secret language. It's thought to be a kind of conspiracy of elitists, designed to keep 'the others' out. I tend to agree. Latin and Ancient Greek are dead languages, except in professional school. It's a little ridiculous.
Still, it's the cat calling the kettle black. I am guilty for using language to suit my own needs. But sometimes it's ok to refer to things in your own way. But like any Kantian will tell you, the rightness or wrongness of the act will come down to intent. Know what I'm saying, Dude?
But this tendency extends not only to people, but things I do. In poker, I talk about holding 'Cowboys' or 'Ladies' or 'Jakes' or 'Bullets.' In basketball, I shoot the 'trey' or a '3-ball.' Of course, I didnt come up with these nicknames, they were given to me by guys like me. It says something about one's familiarity with a person or topic or pastime to use the right name in the right situation. It's as though there were a whole underground language only understood by insiders.
Of course, we find this to be the case not only with our personal lives, but also with our professional lives. Indeed, doctors and lawyers often get criticisms for having a secret language. It's thought to be a kind of conspiracy of elitists, designed to keep 'the others' out. I tend to agree. Latin and Ancient Greek are dead languages, except in professional school. It's a little ridiculous.
Still, it's the cat calling the kettle black. I am guilty for using language to suit my own needs. But sometimes it's ok to refer to things in your own way. But like any Kantian will tell you, the rightness or wrongness of the act will come down to intent. Know what I'm saying, Dude?
posted by Donkey Boy at Saturday, December 10, 2005
4 Comments:
Nothing wrong with using language to suit your own needs, B. You understand that you're doing it, and the implications, bro. Therefore, it's not really a problem, Notorius B(est) I(n) S(how).
Woooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooo!
Is that Kantian?
I always associated Kant with the categorical imperative, no?
I'm soooo close to being done. Let's hang out, I leave Durham after the 20th.
Yeah, Kant was Mr. Categorical Imperative. That’s what he’s most known for. But in formulating the categorical, he said that the seat of morality was the will, rather than the act. The reason for this is that between the will and the act are many chance events over which the actor could not exercise control. For instance, I sought out to create a blog that would cure cancer and save woodland creatures from trees (my will). Whether or not my intention will come to fruition (my act) is largely dependent on cancer researchers and firemen logging on and getting their daily inspiration from my writing, the blogger folks keeping my site up, the speed at which a butterfly flaps its wings in the south pacific, and so forth. All this is beyond my control, and therefore, according to Kant (and I agree), it should not be factored into determining the rightness or wrongness of what I have done. That’s what makes him (and me) an idealist. Rightness and wrongness, for us, only applies to intention, not acts.
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