The actual definitions in the dictionary of “man” and “woman” are shocking.
A simple, powerful window into where we are as a culture
Published in
2 min readSep 4, 2017
Language serves as the building blocks for culture. The words we choose and the ways in which we define them provide very clear signals for our belief systems and values.
Tonight, I looked up the definitions of man and woman.
- A human being of either sex, as in “God cares for all men.”
- To work at, run, or operate, or defend
- Fortify the spirit or courage of
- To express surprise, admiration, delight
- a person associated with a particular place, activity, or occupation
- a peremptory form of address to a woman
- a female worker or employee
- a female who is paid to clean someone’s house and carry out other domestic duties
- a man’s wife, girlfriend, or lover
Changing the words is how we begin to change the world.
As long as man literally means a human of either sex, to fortify spirits, to operate and defend, and to express surprise while woman means a person associated with a particular place, possibly who is paid to clean someone’s house, and probably a man’s wife, girlfriend, or lover, well, things aren’t going to change much.
Someone let Webster know what’s up.
Here. We. Go.
Love, Jmw.
