Comments on: The Depletist Project

By: James Fuller

James Fuller — Sun, 08 Mar 2009 21:20:08 +0000

What if you’re wrong?

Just like all other Fascists you probably can’t imagine that.

By: Louie van Bommel

Louie van Bommel — Wed, 15 Oct 2008 03:29:31 +0000

In days of old, the word for God was never used because it was believed that to use a word gives one power over it. For this reason, I commend your word.

By: David Peachey

David Peachey — Thu, 19 Jun 2008 21:25:03 +0000

Those of you who have Facebook, I have created a group called “Save the world with a word: Depletist”

Join up and ask all your friends to join too. Chris I’ll make you admin if you would like.

Dave

By: Matt

Matt — Thu, 08 Nov 2007 03:12:59 +0000

Hi Chris et al.

I was so struck by your brief description of this project at JUICE2 that I’ve been thinking about it ever since. I told my ThinkTank(1) class about it, and they were very inspired (in fact, it’s been used quite a bit in class since then.)

Tonight I realized that since this is truly an “Idea Worth Spreading” I should try to spread it more… I sent a short email to Chris Anderson at TED (www.ted.com) suggesting he blog about it. Hopefully he will – that blog has quite a reach.

Keep up the efforts – great to meet you a Juice.

By: Pippa

Pippa — Mon, 06 Nov 2006 05:54:23 +0000

I could provide a long list of explanations as to why this is both an excellent and an appropriate idea, but I have forced myself to include only two. (Somehow I already know this is going to turn into a very long comment, so imposing limits is necessary.)
1) Language, as a system of representation, allows us to exist in an entirely conceptual world. Our version of reality is constructed by means of associating a real object with a distinct combination of consonants and vowels. This representation of reality then becomes a reality unto itself: a reality which includes representations of things, rather than the things themselves. Thus, a person who destroys the environment does not really exist until a representation of a person who destroys the environment exists. And now it does.
2) Another prevalent form of representation involves a demonstration of status and power. Humans employ recognizable signs, symbols, and behaviours, in order to control others’ perceptions of them. More specifically, they seek to avoid the possibility of others perceiving them in an undesirable manner. In my opinion, having lots of expensive cars in your driveway does not mean “I’m rich” so much as “I’m not poor”. The word ‘environmentalist’, then, does nothing to incite individuals to change their behaviour, because individuals will not act in an attempt to avoid a negative label that does not even exist. A word like ‘depletist’ is a great deal more likely to elicit behavioural changes, precisely because it mimics the human preference for striving to not be perceived as something, as opposed to actually striving to be something.
I completed a Linguistics Specialist degree, so what I was actually intending to do here (other than ramble on and on unnecessarily) was to mention some commonly accepted views regarding neologisms…
- Introducing a new word to a language, and maximizing its chances of success, nearly always involves having a direct relationship between sound and meaning. (Onomatopeic words are the most common additions to any given language.) ‘Depletist’ is an effective choice in this regard, as the predominance of stop consonants creates an air of sharpness. New words must also be easy to parse, because this makes them more comprehensible at first glance. Again, ‘depletist’ works well: its structure is very similar to already-existing words, and the -ist suffix will automatically be associated with negative, blameworthy behaviour.
- At first, the most important thing to do with neologisms is to present them alonside their definition. You’ve got that one in the bag, too.
- Historically, words which progress beyond the “for nonce” stage – to become fully integrated components of a language’s common usage – have done so by means of their inclusion in the realms of advertising, informal speech, political discourse, and (less predictably) literature. Getting as much exposure as possible is important, and so is the variety of exposure. It’s also crucial to move away from the initial “Here is a word. It means this.” type of exposure, and towards a type which presents the word in its real linguistic and semantic context.
- Finally, if speakers of a language never use a word, it is equivalent to that word being non-existent. It is unfortunate that, even when creating a terribly useful new word, the probability of success is unpredictable. Gelett Burgess coined the term “blurb” in 1907, and it has certainly survived the test of time. He also coined “gubble”, and it certainly has not. You just never know.

My comments have been neither brief nor helpful. I apologize. It’s a great idea.

By: Natalie Rodic

Natalie Rodic — Fri, 03 Nov 2006 03:20:35 +0000

Greetings. I am the person that submitted that blog entry, and I am thrilled that you found us so we could find you. I am pleased to let you know that your concept was well received at this conference with many chuckles from a crowd of design and development professionals. And perhaps you can help me figure out the name of the man who shared it with us. The Conference on Sustainable Urban Design was at the United Nations, presented by the UNDP and the Institute for Urban Design. The man who gave a very brief but compelling delivery said that he had worked with a group of students in Canada, who came up with this word, (your crew presumably). That is all I know about him. Dark hair, young-ish. He genuinely encouraged us to spread the word as much as possible. I am a student at the New School in NYC, the Graduate Program of International Affairs. I would like to send the word out to our listserv, or perhaps I could send people to your blog. any suggestions? A worthwhile mission! Keep up the good work, social awareness is inevitable.

By: Alice Casselman

Alice Casselman — Sun, 29 Oct 2006 17:11:58 +0000

A brilliant exercise with brilliant results!!

Congratulations and thank you for shortening the phrases and sentences that I have tried to use fpr decades to turn the non-environmentalists around to such a wonderful word!

Depletist says it all!

Alice for ACER and EEON

By: Julie Johnston

Julie Johnston — Thu, 26 Oct 2006 13:21:33 +0000

The Green School Committee at Upper Canada College meets every Wednesday at lunch for pizza and trying to figure out what to do next. These students want to rock the school and their city and the world with their care and concern for the future, but we haven’t been getting our message out very well. We invited Elise Houghton of Environmental Education Ontario to speak yesterday (October 25) on The Pen Is Mightier Than . . . A Lot of Other Things. Elise had planned to do a kind of “write-in” with the kids. Quite synchronicitously, we used the classroom of a geography teacher who had attended JUICE, and the next thing we knew, the students learned about DEPLETISM, and being a DEPLETIST, and the power of creating new words, and tanks that think. And they did some great writing for our Green Report too. Thanks for “spreading the word”! Truly, the internet is going to prove itself mightier than the sword.

By: Robin Uchida

Robin Uchida — Tue, 24 Oct 2006 14:56:00 +0000

Very powerful message and a great effort on the part of all who contibuted. Thanks for making the effort at JUICE. By turning a possibility into action you created a chain of events that otherwise may not have happened. As well, you made the event itself more meaningful for myself and others. Many thanks. Share what you know. Sincerely, Robin.