The dystopian nightmare of George Orwell’s famous novel Nineteen Eighty-Four could never actually happen. Could it?
There is growing use of the phrase “the feels”. It is an inarticulate failure spouted by people lacking a wide enough vocabulary to describe emotions. They only know there is something they are feeling.
They haven’t read enough or were never taught words to explain emotion stirred by a person, cause, situation, or Snapchat video of a dog rescuing another dog. They merely say: “It gives me the feels”.
But “the feels” isn’t a description. It doesn’t capture the incredible concentration that is love, the salted cut of jealousy, the hot impotency of anger, or the glow of altruism.
If no one can describe beauty, how will we recognise it? If no one can explain frustration, how can it be assuaged? If no one can articulate their feelings, will we actually have any?
The technical term is hypocognition. It means to lack the linguistic or cognitive representation of a concept to describe ideas or interpret experiences.
That’s a mouthful, it’s better expressed by example. The modern word for the vaguely uncomfortable sensation of sitting on a seat still radiating warmth from someone else’s bottom is shoeburyness. And it’s felt more seriously by people who know the word for it. Naming it makes them more aware of it.
Phubbing, a portmanteau of “phone” and “snubbing”, is when you’re ignored by a companion because they are immersed in their mobile phone. Once you know the term, you notice it more when it happens. Now I’ve labelled it, it will annoy you quicker. Sorry about that.
The reverse is also true. If you don’t know the words for emotions like trepidation, pity, wonder, spite, guilt, disgust, or can’t recognise the difference between love and lust, then your response to experiencing these things is limited. There is a block on your ability to explain not just to others, but to yourself.
You and I (who enjoy words) might have an interesting conversation about the nuances between regret, remorse, and ruefulness. You couldn’t have that conversation with someone who describes all three as “the feels”.
This word famine is frighteningly like Orwell’s description of “Newspeak”, the language imposed on the population in Nineteen Eighty-Four. A sinister, curtailed version of English.
Newspeak inhibits “thoughtcrime”. There are no words for dissent, resistance, or personal identity. These things are inexpressible and therefore (the theory goes) impossible to have.
The irony is that we’re not being crushed into this by a Big Brother-led Ingsoc party. We’re doing it to ourselves.
Word of the week
Cicatrix (noun)
The scar or seam of a healed wound. EG: “The already battle-scarred English language will survive, but it gains a new cicatrix after each wound from abominations like ‘the feels’.”
Read the latest Oh my word! every Saturday in The Courier. Contact me at sfinan@dctmedia.co.uk
