Are We There Yet? vol. 247
The other day, Oxford University Press announced that the Oxford word of the year for 2024 is “brain rot.” It seems like two words to me, but who am I to second-guess Oxford. The word (phrase) is defined as “the supposed deterioration of a person’s mental or intellectual state, especially viewed as the result of overconsumption of material considered to be trivial or unchallenging.” For example, if you binge-watch The Real Housewives of Beverly Hills, I suspect you suffer from brain rot.
While many of us may think that this term originated in the TikTok age, the phrase was coined by Henry David Thoreau in 1854 in his book Walden. According to Oxford, Thoreau was criticizing “society’s tendency to devalue complex ideas, or those that can be interpreted in multiple ways, in favor of simple ones.” In other words, our brains were rotting from a lack of effort.
As we head into 2025 and the hype continues about AI and robots taking over many of our tasks, the result should be that we have much more time to pursue other endeavors. The question is whether those endeavors will rot out brains or lead to higher levels of thought and intellectual stimulation. I hope it is the latter.
Take care and stay safe.
BOOK:
Time of the Child by Niall Williams
Doctor Jack Troy was born and raised in Faha, but his responsibilities for the sick and his care for the dying mean he has always been set apart from the town. His eldest daughter, Ronnie, has grown up in her father's shadow, and remains there, having missed one chance at love – and passed up another offer of marriage from an unsuitable man.
But in the Advent season of 1962, as the town readies itself for Christmas, Ronnie and Doctor Troy's lives are turned upside down when a baby is left in their care. As the winter passes, father and daughter's lives, the understanding of their family, and their role in their community are changed forever.
Learn more about Bob Len here.
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