Human Retronym

Oxford English Dictionary definition of a retronym:

“A neologism created for an existing object or concept because the exact meaning of the original term used for it has become ambiguous (usually as a result of a new development, technological advance, etc.).”

I have recently experienced a hazy yet growing intensity of feeling that to be discerning is to be left behind, and perhaps worse, to keep up is to cast aside thoughtful (or human) choice; that the difficulty with the rapidity of change that we are experiencing as a global society is we are moving so fast, that very few of us have time to consider the direction in which we are going and whether it is to a better place than the one before. Perhaps the haziness of the notion is a factor of the problem. Today I found myself becoming more and more irritated with the continual sponsorship and dwindling substance of programmes on the television, but only after a seemingly unconscious flick of a switch inside of me, did I consider that I needn’t be watching in the first place. While I was glad that the switch flicked, It was rather unerring that it apparently did so of its own accord. By that I mean to illustrate the ease with which one can be swept along by the media tide, or essentially, swept along by the perception that a societal trend is the way things must be. While the realisation that I needn’t watch was the simple answer to my frustration, until the switch flicked I was setting the root of the problem as the poor decision making of broadcasters. With a little more thought it becomes clear that those broadcasting decisions are intentional, and during the times when I hadn’t reached a point of frustration, and had merely consumed, I was perfectly fitting their target market and taking on board their persuasions as a consequence.

I do in fact have a faith in the ability of humanity and the individual to flick that switch, another analogy may be to re-emerge at the water’s surface. However I feel that we are continually placing ourselves, or being placed, in a layer of existence that is farther and farther from our primary needs of food, shelter, air to breathe et al, and the more removed we become, the harder the task of reaching that water’s surface becomes in turn. I also want to make it clear that, in saying that, I am not shunning technology or progress. It is our likelihood of being discerning about what progress actually is from behind these layers, which I feel to be the issue. As an example, I think it is a reasonable assumption that a year ago, the world resource was not much different to that of today, and yet at this moment we are in the midst of an economic crisis. Economists use ratchet systems, buy into future commodities and hedge their bets on especially created funds. While confidence, it seems, can make or break markets and even entire nations. Those layers enable people to make a fortune, and one ratchet system may be an improvement on the last, but I ask you, if the original direction is wrong, do those layers amount to progress? The world’s raw resource doesn’t change substantially per annum and yet almost overnight people lose their jobs en masse, whilst the least fortunate may go hungry or worse.

I’d also like to express that whilst noting the importance of remaining in touch with those fundamental needs of life, I am not suggesting everyone move into huts and light camp fires (although it might be a more enjoyable experience than many people would expect), I am great believer in human expression and sophistication. Unfortunately it seems that the attainment of these qualities has been severely blurred with the very shallowest of desires. To be sophisticated is not to own three cars. In the same way as romanticism isn’t simply buying lots of flowers. To be fashionable isn’t to own 200 throw-away outfits. The complex and wondrous interactions between people is where those qualities lie. The sensual and emotional alignments and even divisions, brought about by one another’s actions and decisions.

Finally, I want to say that I always feel a degree of discomfort in writing in this way. Although I truly believe in what I say, I am not suggesting that everybody feel like it. Nor does it encompass my entire way of feeling. In truth it is a small part. However, I value that small part enough to take it seriously. More from the point of view that small parts in many people make one very large chunk. We as people, shouldn’t need to choose between drifting through life in the direction that a monetarily powerful and morally insidious few point us, or becoming the human equivalent of a retronym in all of its seldom-deserved ambiguity.

Examples of Retronyms:

The Push Lawnmower, The Film Camera, Natural Breasts, Live Music, Latin America

A final example is the Black and White Film, and I think this sternly ironic clip, recommended by a friend, fits well with the subject.