The 'real' problem with real

Series: 
Where language and emotion collide

re·al¹

/ˈrē(ə)l/

adjective

1. 1.

   actually existing as a thing or occurring in fact; not imagined or supposed.

   
   

   "Julius Caesar was a real person"

   
   

   synonyms:

   actual, nonfictional, factual, real-life; More

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2. 2.

   (of a substance or thing) not imitation or artificial; genuine.

   
   

   "the earring was presumably real gold"

   
   

   synonyms:

   genuine, authentic, bona fide; More

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4. Stop using real for everything! 
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6. This is my rant for the day. I love our language, but like an overplayed song on the radio, words lose their effectiveness. I used to love [blank] song, but now I hate it because I have heard it way too much. Is this something you may have said before? Overuse destroys words in the same way. It diminishes its meaning and tangles its purpose. 
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8. It seems everything today must be coined "real" something. Perhaps it's because there is so much "fake" in the world that we think slapping the title real on something makes it more valuable. Well, it doesn't! It's sad, and it's confusing consumers because we can't trust or decipher what real, as in genuine, is anymore. 
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10. What is real anyways? 
11. As you see above the "real" definition of real. In the first example, actually existing is what gets me the most and of course in the context of loss. My son "actually existed", he was a real person, but does something that actually existed become unreal because I 'suppose' he is now in Heaven? 
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13. As for the second description, this is where its use has exploded, spreading like the flu in the world of marketing. And when the word is used for the reason in the second definition, but associated with a "thing" in the first instance, it's downright disgusting. 
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15. Real people? Well duh, people are real! So what does the word real actually add to describe this noun? It's as empty as a hollow log.  If you are trying to get the message that a person is genuine or the story is factual, then say it! Don't beat around the bush with such a vague adjective as the overused real! Be clear and concise. A general rule for anything written. 

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2. How do you qualify or quantify "real"? 
3. There is likely a very complex, scientific algorithm in astrophysics to quantify reality, but for us non-geniuses, what's the threshold for something to be real? 

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   As in this advertisement, how do you define what 'real" value and "real' savings are because those could be different for every individual. Do they mean the savings exist or that they are not imitation savings? I am confused because neither tells me anything. 
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4. In the end, maybe it's my own messed up idea of what is real and unreal in our world that causes me to dislike the overuse of this word. As my own experiences have made me question real and reality, I struggle to wrap my head around what is actually real anymore. Was what happened yesterday real? Because in the context of loss, again, the days when my son was alive don't feel real anymore. Of course they were when they happened, but memories are just memories and no longer real life. 
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6. Our emotional connection to a word can  influence our comprehension of said word and may create a disconnect between writer and reader. It's important to choose carefully and be as clear as you can about what you are trying to convey to reduce the convoluted emotional responses that could come from using a vague term, such as real. 
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