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Our biased language

A few language biases have been recognized and addressed

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The issue of word availability and word connotation have, in recent history, received a needed overhaul. For example, instead of the default term of "mailman," we now have "letter carrier." Even in marriage ceremonies, the expression "I now pronounce you man and wife," has been updated with "I now pronounce you husband and wife."

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The terms "nigger" and "negro" got replaced with "black" and then later with "African American." 

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Most of us welcome these changes.

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Yet, in measuring the negative impact that a biased language can inflict on its users, the beginning addresses less than 1% of the endemic biases that we subject ourselves and others to everyday.

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The bias of villainizing concern for oneself and praising concern for others

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To avoid going overboard with my abbreviated list of 225 words that villainize behavior which may be serving taking care of oneself, I'll only share 90 of those here. Everyone of these words might describe someone who was trying to take care of themselves without necessarily any desire or intent or result to harm others. In fact, I have only been able to find one word that gives has a positive connotation of intention to take care of oneself: self-care. ​

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Given that everyone's #1 job in the world is to take care of themselves, it's a travesty that our language makes it quite difficult to talk about that and support that because of the dearth of words and expressions that indicate that taking care of yourself is a good thing to do.

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  • acquisitive

    • the denotation of acquisitive is "having a strong desire to acquire and possess things, especially material wealth or property." This is a necessary trait of anyone who is doing their #1 job. Yet this word is saddled with the negative connotation of "greediness or an excessive focus on material gain or personal benefit."​

  • antisocial

    • the denotation of antisocial is "avoiding social interaction, being unwilling or unable to associate with others." This is may be occasionally a necessary trait of anyone who is doing their #1 job. Yet this word is saddled with the negative connotation of "implies behaviors that are unfriendly, disruptive, or even harmful to societal norms and relationships."

  • arrogant

    • the denotation of arrogant is "having or displaying a high sense of one's own importance or abilities." This is may be occasionally a necessary trait of anyone who is doing their #1 job. Yet this word is saddled with the negative connotation of "an overconfident or dismissive attitude, making it perceived as unpleasant or condescending."

  • avaricious (see acquisitive)

  • betray

    • the denotation of betray is "means to act in a way that does not meet someone's expectations of loyalty or adherence to an agreement or trust." This is may be occasionally a necessary behavior of anyone who is doing their #1 job. Yet this word is saddled with the negative connotation of "feelings of disappointment, hurt, or anger due to the breach of trust."

  • bribe

    • the denotation of bribe is "something offered or given, often money or a gift, to someone to influence their decision or behavior in a way that benefits the person offering it." This is may be occasionally a necessary behavior of anyone who is doing their #1 job. Yet this word is saddled with the negative connotation of "corruption, dishonesty, and unethical behavior, often undermining fairness or integrity."

  • close-fisted

    • the denotation of close-fisted is "being unwilling to spend or share money; being very frugal." This is may be occasionally a necessary behavior of anyone who is doing their #1 job. Yet this word is saddled with the negative connotation of "excessive unwillingness to spend money, often associated with selfishness or greed."

  • cold-hearted

    • the denotation of cold-hearted is "refers to someone who lacks sympathy, compassion, or emotional warmth." This is may be occasionally a necessary behavior of anyone who is doing their #1 job. Yet this word is saddled with the negative connotation of "suggests cruelty, indifference, or emotional detachment, often portraying a person as unkind or uncaring."

  • complainer

    • the denotation of cold-hearted is "refers to someone who frequently expresses dissatisfaction or grievances." This is may be occasionally a necessary behavior of anyone who is doing their #1 job. Yet this word is saddled with the negative connotation of "a person habitually finds fault or is overly negative, often implying a lack of resilience or appreciation."

  • corrupt

  • cruel

  • deserter

  • discourteous

  • dishonest

  • disloyal

  • disobedient

  • disrespectful

  • egotistical

  • exploitive

  • gold digger

  • grasping

  • greedy

  • guiltless

  • hard-hearted

  • impatient

  • inappropriate

  • inattentive

  • inconsiderate

  • indecent

  • inhospitable

  • inhumane

  • injudicious

  • insensitive

  • looking out for number one

  • malicious

  • mean

  • mercenary

  • miserly

  • narcissistic

  • naughty

  • neglectful

  • not giving back

  • not pulling their weight

  • on the make

  • opportunist

  • parsimonious

  • penny-pincher

  • pervert

  • polluter

  • possessive

  • power grabbing

  • predatory

  • price gouger

  • psychopathic

  • rapacious

  • scrooge

  • self-absorbed

  • self-centered

  • self-important

  • self-indulgent

  • self-interested

  • self-involved

  • self-loving

  • self-seeking

  • self-serving

  • selfish

  • shirker

  • silly

  • skirt-chaser

  • stingy

  • strange

  • taker

  • takes advantage of others

  • tax cheater

  • thoughtless

  • tightfisted

  • traitorous

  • uncharitable

  • uncivilized

  • uncooperative

  • undeserving

  • unfair

  • unfaithful

  • unfeeling

  • unfriendly

  • ungenerous

  • ungiving

  • unpatriotic

  • wasteful

  • weird​​​​

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145

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  1. accommodating

  2. agreeable

  3. altruistic

  4. apologetic

  5. appropriate

  6. behaves themselves

  7. big-hearted

  8. charitable

  9. Christian

  10. compliant

  11. contributor

  12. cooperative

  13. decent

  14. dependable

  15. devoted

  16. deserving

  17. does the right thing

  18. does their best

  19. does their job

  20. dutiful

  21. fair

  22. faithful

  23. family oriented

  24. filial

  25. follows orders

  26. forbearing

  27. forgiving

  28. fulfills their duty and obligation

  29. generous

  30. giver

  31. gives back

  32. giving

  33. Godly

  34. good

  35. guilty (when they were selfish)

  36. has integrity

  37. has their heart in the right place

  38. honest

  39. honorable

  40. humanitarian

  41. incorruptible

  42. is a team player

  43. kind

  44. law-abiding

  45. like Robin Hood

  46. loving

  47. loyal

  48. magnanimous

  49. merciful

  50. moral

  51. neighborly

  52. normal

  53. not greedy

  54. obedient

  55. open-handed

  56. patient

  57. patriotic

  58. paying their own way

  59. philanthropic

  60. plays fair

  61. polite

  62. praises and acknowledges others

  63. principled

  64. productive

  65. proper

  66. public-spirited

  67. puts others first

  68. puts themselves in others’ shoes

  69. regular guy

  70. reliable

  71. reputable

  72. respectable

  73. respectful

  74. saintly

  75. scrupulous

  76. self-abasing

  77. self-denying

  78. self-effacing

  79. self-renouncing

  80. self-sacrificing

  81. selfless

  82. sensitive

  83. sharing

  84. stoic

  85. team player

  86. tenderhearted

  87. thinks of others

  88. thoughtful

  89. tolerant

  90. true American

  91. true-blue, trustworthy

  92. truthful

  93. unbiased

  94. understanding

  95. unprejudiced

  96. unpretentious

  97. unselfish, virtuous

  98. worthy

  • and many others.

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QUITTING

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