Skip to main content

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
  2. 2.
    (of a substance or thing) not imitation or artificial; genuine.

    "the earring was presumably real gold"

    synonyms:genuine, authentic, bona fide; More

  4. Stop using real for everything! 

  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. 

  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. 

  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? 

  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. 

  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. 


  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? 


  2. 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. 

  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. 

  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. 

Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

Feeding the fire

Buried deep within my soul is a fire. It burns slowly; smouldering inside me day after day. I long for the day when this fire rages again. Like it used to before I smothered it with life. Before kids, before mortgages, bills, illnesses and medical interventions, there was something else on my mind. It was fuelled by almost everything around me and grew stronger with every use. This was something that took me through dark spiralling tunnels, across cobalt blue seas with purple monkeys swimming and up mossy green mountains that whispered cool breezes. It sparked all my  senses and tugged at my heart. It sent shivers down my spine and excitement in my belly. And sometimes it paid. My creativity was ignited by an imagination as unique as every snowflake that falls. The words came to me, the stories flowed and the imagery made sense. I created eloquent editorial and powerful prose. But somehow along the way I lost my creative spirit. I pushed it away. I pushed it down. I push...
1 comment
Read more

Will cancer or climate change be the end to humanity?

Someday the human race as we know it will not exist. As proven through time, history has a tendancy of repeating itself. Simply put, we haven't always existed so at some point we too will become extinct. I recently watched an intriguing documentary about the earth, its formation and evolution through time. The science of our universe as depicted in the series 'Cosmos' is fascinating - even if regurgitated information from grade school geography and science. The show strives to bring the relevance of the past to the future and how we continue to be affected. http://www.cosmosontv.com/ http://www.sltrib.com/sltrib/entertainment2/57608648-223/cosmos-fox-science-sunday.html.csp It definately got me excited about science and the fact it airs on Fox and produced by Family Guy's Seth McFarlane does not make it any less credible. After watching, I questioned life as we see it today... and how that in billions of years from now the world will be a very different pla...
Post a Comment
Read more

The aftermath is MESSY

We are on the road to recovery!  Physically, Xavier is improving daily with his regular physio and pure determination only a child possesses. He is learning to walk again and use his left side, all while building back the muscle he lost.  He has at least another month of treatment left, but we are so fortunate we can manage it at home and at a dose that causes fewer side effects than he faced last month.  Xavier is determined and I admire that in children. The lack of self-pity in kids we have seen  on his cancer ward are so inspiring. Instead they use that energy to heal, and set goals for recovery.   Still there are residual symptoms that are concerning. He is choking on liquids more frequently, suffering from reflux and is unable to move his toes on his left foot. Seems minor but as he tries to walk now his toes curl under his foot and trip him. Who knew how important straightening your toes are!  But the lingering side effect of treatment ...
2 comments
Read more