How the misuse of language alters our reality

No, your service isn't revolutionary.

It’s 8:00 AM. You log into LinkedIn – maybe there’s a new job for you?

You see an ad.

“Six months ago, we revolutionised the global healthcare industry with our leading-edge app designed to level up patient care. It’s the future, and we need a savvy, trendsetting, no-bullshit marketing assistant to take on our social media. You’ll be the voice of Gen-Z, using major platforms to promote our entirely unique service and super-inclusive culture. Did we mention we have award-winning employee satisfaction and a kick-ass list of perks? Apply here.”

Did they really revolutionise the healthcare industry? Must be quite an innovative company.

Proceeds to see ten other revolutionary job ads in about ten minutes.

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Have marketing superlatives gotten out of hand? People need to sell their product or service and we all know that takes a bit of exaggeration. That’s completely fine and expected. But when almost every descriptor becomes world-changing in its implications, the literal meaning of “revolution” becomes revolutionised itself. Does anybody even know what that means anymore?

And this goes for countless other superlatives too. In the UK, we even have an official Government position called the Secretary of State for “Levelling Up.” Levelling up? It’s nonsense language straight out of a press release.

Some may see this as a dumbing down of culture, others may suggest that it signifies a deeper level of dishonesty within general society, and many more will argue this is just a symptom of social media. All play a role, no doubt. Regardless of the reasoning, it struck me that changes like this will have potentially significant effects on the psyche of individuals across society. After all, language matters.

Writing to extremes

I wanted to briefly touch upon a video by the philosopher, Alain De Botton. It’s been many years since I watched this presentation, but I suspect the sentiment of one particular section shares some relevancy. In the video, Alain describes the media’s representation of events and contrasts it with the interest and emotional response it garners. For example, car crashes, plane crashes and extreme murders result in large swathes of interest. People with absolutely no personal connection to the event can become emotionally involved. Contrastingly, a similar tragedy, such as a massacre in a faraway country can induce apathy. This is largely due to the presentation of the news and how far the publication goes to evoke empathy. The use of photos, the words used to describe the event etc.

In other words, the factual information itself isn’t as important as the dressing.

Alain suggests this causes a disconnect with death itself. We obsess over the statistically unlikely and lose touch with reality.

Returning to the topic at hand, I suggest a similar phenomenon is at play with our use of language.

If everything is revolutionary then nothing is. If everything is disruptive, then nothing is. If every job, product or service can level something up, then we’re all in a game. If we’re all leaders, we’re following in circles.

Now, you may disregard this as splitting hairs – these companies don’t believe they’re game changers, they’re just marketing. Sure, but over time, a change in language shapes our very worldview. If we no longer have the language to describe our world at its extremes, we lose our ability to make necessary distinctions. Words, after all, signify reality. In fact, there is no escaping the filter of language when assessing any aspect of reality, be it in science or in day-to-day life. When words become grey and meaningless, our conception of reality follows suit and it becomes increasingly difficult to determine truth from fiction.

A stale simulation

In my view, our overuse of superlatives leads to apathy. This is because the very concepts in our minds used to describe outlier events, such as a revolution, become simplistic and synonymous with everyday ideas. What’s more, we all recognise this fact and cynically accept it as an unavoidable effect of salesmanship.

It lowers the general standard and makes the exciting banal. This could have a number of implications on the general psyche of society. To start with, this may contribute to a general lacklustre attitude toward all things. I used the word ‘cynically’ for good reason – people know they’re being deceived and yet, they play along anyway. In this type of environment everyone takes part in a game rather than being honest. And when something genuinely unique comes along, there will be no words to express it.

Which leads me to my next point – a simulacrum of superlatives. The post-modern philosopher, Baudrillard, famously described his concept of a ‘simulacrum’ when discussing modernity. To briefly summarise, this term describes a society where every aspect is a simulation of reality, rather than its true representation. The symbols, language and participants are all active parts of this simulation. As such, the simulacrum reduces all meaning to meaningless. It’s an interesting theory and certainly holds some truth.

In this case, it helps describe a world where language begins to lose its meaning. We know it’s fake and we know our responses are fake, but we need to maintain our role to find even a modicum of value in day-to-day interactions. It pays to play, after all. Social media, and media more generally, are certainly the greatest examples of this. For their entire existence, algorithms have driven traffic toward the most controversial and exaggerated forms of media possible. Of course, we all know this, but we continue to be shocked and surprised in exchange for dopamine hits anyway.

It presents an interesting proble. To know one is partaking in a simulation means it’s possible to exist outside of it. Thankfully, much of this is perception and not reality.

Digitally Conforming

Another effect of our linguistic laziness is conformity. In theory, the internet offers individuals full expression, providing a never-ending body of information and niche interests. However, it largely has the opposite effect. Platforms such as Instagram are driven entirely by trends. If a 15-second clip of music is being used by thousands, then any new content with the same audio will be ‘organically’ boosted (another word removed from reality). And this goes for post formatting, copy style and much more. It’s an ultra-efficient conforming machine.

Our exaggerated vocabulary has a similar effect. Everyone follows the trend to avoid standing out in a negative way. This consolidates our language and by effect, our full expression. As many have said, freedom of speech is necessary for freedom of thought – what you can say shapes your reality.

The earliest example of mass conformity in the extreme that I can remember is the Kony 2012 campaign. The entire active internet, from teenagers to adults, was swept up by a high-production PR stunt that posed Kony, a real violent warlord, as the greatest evil plaguing the world. He was, no doubt, an evil person. However, as it was later revealed, he hadn’t been seen in multiple years and the crimes he had committed were no longer an active issue. The whole campaign was a scam. And, in an obscure end, the founder of said campaign was found naked wandering the streets on psychedelics.

It’s an example of the ease at which conformity spreads through digital means and a lack of critical thinking on the part of the internet’s users. Could a lack of rationale be due, in part, to reduced expression? I suspect so. If anything, the illusion of individuality helps mask the conformity further. It truly is a simulacrum.

The antidote?

In many ways, blogging sites like Substack are useful. While the same issues are present, there is, at least, the opportunity to consume various forms of the written word from people less subject to the whims of a crowd. There’s plenty of individuality. And it’s individuality and honesty that are key. People need to express themselves in ways that stand out, using language appropriately. There are many ways to create distinctions in style without relying on superlatives, such as humour, metaphors, prose. In fact, it will likely lead to greater success in the long run.

The more we value authentic content from all avenues, the greater capacity we shall have to think and leave the simulacrum of superlatives for good.