I always have a moment of internal cringe when I see someone using the word “spastic” in a non medical sense. Like I know tumblr is US based and all, but “spastic” or “spaz” is considered to be a huge slur against disabled people in the UK, like it’s on par with r*tard, and yet I see it everywhere on here, enough to the point where I’ve just blacklisted it to avoid it.
And this isn’t a “you’re a monster for using this word” kinda post btw, I’m just realizing maybe people aren’t aware it’s an ableist term.
As are most of our derogatory words tbh. A lot of insults are based on making comparisons to disabilities. Which makes it very hard to weed them out your lexicon. I still slip up and use words like “idiot” or “dumb” from time to time, but I’m making a real effort not to since I became aware of it. It’s hard, but rewarding in that it has made my insults feel like I’m on The Good Place, so there’s that.
Hm. So, I’m often an ignorant bench – I did some googling, and I know that ‘dumb’ is slang for mute, but why is ‘idiot’ bad?
I know all derogatory words are based on comparing one person to a group that is supposedly ‘lesser’ – a la, all the ‘women’ ones, and then ‘fat, lame, dumb’, etc. But why ‘idiot’? Is labeling someone as having zero intelligence —oh.
Just got it.
Huh.
Well, goddamnit, @thebibliosphere how are we supposed to make people feel bad, then?
Wait.
…
…
…
I might be having a revelation.
#might have to just change my whole outlook on life now
That pretty much sums up how I felt when I realized it too haha. It was overwhelming at first to realize just how needlessly cruel my language was, but I’ve felt better about life in general since I’ve elected to use kinder words. “Walnut” is my favorite. I use it a lot for myself. I have a bad habit of putting myself down and tend to refer to myself as “stupid” a lot (which like “idiot” was also once a medical term for people with disabilities) so instead when I do something I call myself a walnut now instead. It’s funnier and sounds silly but without the inherent nastiness of stupid.