It's the buzz word of the decade: empowering ! How many times do you hear that term being used for everything and anything that happens ? I went to the dictionary, old habits die hard I guess, to look up the definition. Here is what that says, " make ( someone ) stronger and more confident, especially in controlling their life and claiming their rights : " This thought came to mind as I was listening to the news this morning. They were talking with a few folks preparing to watch todays' eclipse. And yes, at least one person thought it would be empowering ! Exactly how that is going to be empowering I haven't figured out. How that could make you stronger, more confident in controlling your life or claiming your rights is a bit of a mystery to me, but then, I'm old. I still look to the dictionary for definitions.
Now this concept of empowerment does rely upon feeling that something has been forbidden to you. It may also imply that you felt enslaved in some fashion. That is what the antonyms for empowered are, forbid or enslave. Again I used an old fashioned book called a thesaurus to find that out. Interesting that synonyms listed number at least fourteen ! One that really jumped out at me was emancipate ! So, that one person felt like the solar eclipse would emancipate him ! Now that is exciting news and worth waiting for. He will be set free.
I do wonder why so many feel so restricted in life ? Why should every positive thing that happens be empowering ? Is it the right choice of wording ? I can see it being reassuring. That makes more sense to me. When I do something that is pleasing to others, or has a positive effect I feel reassured. I may also feel encouraged. Neither of those words are listed as synonymous with empowered. Interesting that the word " entitle " is however. Could it be a sense of entitlement that has become so popular ? Is that why so many feel so empowered ? Just could be. Is it a subtle change in social consciousness ? That is a rather abstract concept that I like to think about. It is also something I feel many folks are just not aware of, or at the very least, not paying attention to. And why do I think that ? I think many are just too busy worrying about their own wants and needs, that's why. If you operate within that mindset I suppose everything positive happening to you would feel empowering ! Then the world becomes your enabler. That's another term that has gained in popularity; enabler. It's meaning is being altered and now implies a bad thing. If I am doing something wrong, something I shouldn't be doing perhaps, and you don't stop me, you're enabling me ! That means it is your fault as much as it is mine. You are an enabler ! Well I guess I would feel empowered by that after all. Shifting the blame will have that effect.
Well I am somewhat of a word person. I just really enjoy saying what I mean. The most important thing to me is having others understand. I do try to express myself in a perspicacious manner. In so doing I have been called an aeolist. Well what are you going to do ? I do seek reassurance and acceptance from my fellow man. I believe both of those are normal and natural human needs. No man is an island, entire of itself, according to the poet John Donne and I agree with him. Do I need to be empowered by you ? No, I don't feel that need at all. I feel no constraint because of you. Constraint is self imposed by the independent man. And maybe that is another piece of this social consciousness that many are missing. Are they feeling a sense of dependence rather than a feeling of independence ? Yes I think that just could be a piece of the puzzle. But there I go again being a philosophunculist. You see I don't really need your permission to do anything. Knowing that I also don't get that feeling of " empowerment " every time something happens. Most of the time I just take a smug satisfaction in knowing I was right. Probably the very reason I get called a philosophunculist.
Now this concept of empowerment does rely upon feeling that something has been forbidden to you. It may also imply that you felt enslaved in some fashion. That is what the antonyms for empowered are, forbid or enslave. Again I used an old fashioned book called a thesaurus to find that out. Interesting that synonyms listed number at least fourteen ! One that really jumped out at me was emancipate ! So, that one person felt like the solar eclipse would emancipate him ! Now that is exciting news and worth waiting for. He will be set free.
I do wonder why so many feel so restricted in life ? Why should every positive thing that happens be empowering ? Is it the right choice of wording ? I can see it being reassuring. That makes more sense to me. When I do something that is pleasing to others, or has a positive effect I feel reassured. I may also feel encouraged. Neither of those words are listed as synonymous with empowered. Interesting that the word " entitle " is however. Could it be a sense of entitlement that has become so popular ? Is that why so many feel so empowered ? Just could be. Is it a subtle change in social consciousness ? That is a rather abstract concept that I like to think about. It is also something I feel many folks are just not aware of, or at the very least, not paying attention to. And why do I think that ? I think many are just too busy worrying about their own wants and needs, that's why. If you operate within that mindset I suppose everything positive happening to you would feel empowering ! Then the world becomes your enabler. That's another term that has gained in popularity; enabler. It's meaning is being altered and now implies a bad thing. If I am doing something wrong, something I shouldn't be doing perhaps, and you don't stop me, you're enabling me ! That means it is your fault as much as it is mine. You are an enabler ! Well I guess I would feel empowered by that after all. Shifting the blame will have that effect.
Well I am somewhat of a word person. I just really enjoy saying what I mean. The most important thing to me is having others understand. I do try to express myself in a perspicacious manner. In so doing I have been called an aeolist. Well what are you going to do ? I do seek reassurance and acceptance from my fellow man. I believe both of those are normal and natural human needs. No man is an island, entire of itself, according to the poet John Donne and I agree with him. Do I need to be empowered by you ? No, I don't feel that need at all. I feel no constraint because of you. Constraint is self imposed by the independent man. And maybe that is another piece of this social consciousness that many are missing. Are they feeling a sense of dependence rather than a feeling of independence ? Yes I think that just could be a piece of the puzzle. But there I go again being a philosophunculist. You see I don't really need your permission to do anything. Knowing that I also don't get that feeling of " empowerment " every time something happens. Most of the time I just take a smug satisfaction in knowing I was right. Probably the very reason I get called a philosophunculist.
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