It is silly to call fat people 'gravitationally challenged', a self-righteous fetishism of language which is no more than a symptom of political frustration.
About this quote
- What does it mean?
- Using euphemisms like 'gravitationally challenged' reveals more about the speaker's political anxieties than the subject's condition.
- In plain terms
- Calling people polite names to avoid offense often shows the speaker is frustrated with politics.
- What can you take from it?
- Avoid using language to hide real political frustrations.
Where it applies
Putting it to work
Questions to consider
- Why do we soften language?
- Is it better to be direct?
Another view
Sometimes euphemisms are used simply to be kind, not due to political frustration.
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