Beware The Bearer of Buzzwords

My husband was a Natural Gas Marketer for many years. Or as our youngest daughter told her 3 year old playschool class, he sold gas. This was a very simple but correct description. However it was odd for another Mom as she decided to clarify his occupation. You see, he wore a suit to work. We both took our turns as helping Mom and Dad with the playschool and he would come straight from work. In order for the Moms to reconcile their image of a gas station attendant with my suit wearing hubby, they wondered if perhaps he was a successful gas station owner. You know, owned lots of gas stations. It was pretty funny. If you aren’t in the industry he is in, the term might mean nothing. But if you are a part of that world, you know exactly what his job entailed. Every industry has its terminology but it also has it’s buzzwords.

He often worked on a trading floor with work cubicles as there were tv’s everywhere tuned to various stations. The prices are very much tied to political, economical and environmental pressures and the need for immediate information was crucial. For a few years he worked with a gal who was in the marketing department but more concerned with logistics. Her desk was quite near. Almost everyday he would come home complaining about her. She made mistakes, she wasn’t the brightest of employees and she wasted a lot of time. She was good at pawning work off on others but always managed to snag invites to industry events. He truly thought she was an idiot. When I asked why she continued to enjoy such a lucrative job in a cut throat industry, his answer was quick. She knew buzzwords. Enough to fool people. And that is how she got by. Oh sure, she only lasted a few years everywhere she worked but her networking ability gave her ample opportunity for new positions. But the reality was that the buzzwords where used to impress people with a knowledge she didn’t possess.

Therein lies one of the problems. People use buzzwords to impress others rather than to inform or to persuade. They want to make themselves appear more knowledgeable. It is a dangerous choice to make if you don’t know what you are talking about. Buzzwords for me are a sort of bullshit meter when I am talking to someone. It doesn’t take too long to flush out whether or not the individual is smart and in the know or a total idiot. That is harsh I know. In my defense though once you call someone out by asking for them to explain themselves, they will dig a hole really quick rather than admit they don’t know what they are talking about. People don’t want to appear stupid. Sadly, the contradiction others pick up on only cements the idea in their minds that you aren’t that bright.

The other problem in my opinion is that buzzwords often lead to incorrect information. Buzzwords are often used to dumb down complex ideas for the general population. However, once the complexity is removed, the whole picture is also removed leaving us mere mortals still lacking in information. And what happens when we don’t see the clear picture? We fill in the blanks with our own imagination. Which distorts the information that we turn around and tell to others in a once again attempt to appear in the know. Buzzwords are a huge marketing tool to persuade people to buy or consume or support the agenda of large corporations and governments. The buzzwords often expand and evolve over time as they begin to incorporate more and more items in their definition. Eventually, in some cases the initial meaning is lost. In fact the term buzzword itself has morphed since its inception. into phrases and slogans. Over time they become trendy and cool and can often lead to negative or damaging rhetoric.

What it all comes down to is basically buying into the changing world so we don’t appear to be left behind as that makes us look weak. I am well aware that the initials AI refer to artificial intelligence. What does it entail? I have no idea. I have a vague understanding of the concept but not enough information to speak to the idea in a knowledgeable way. Nor do I wish to explore the ideas further. I was never interested in cryptocurrencies in the beginning either. Now, I am very much against the entire concept but only as someone who considers herself an environmentalist. The amounts of electricity used for bitcoin alone is estimated to be over 125 terrawatt hours per year. That’s a lot. To put that into perspective, a TWh is 1,000,000,000 KWh. Go look at your electrical bill for the month and then you may understand why I am not keen on the construction of the new mega data centre near Calgary, that Kevin O’Leary is all jacked up about. The amount of electricity required will put a strain on our electrical generation in this province as we move to use more and more natural gas to create increasing amounts of electricity. It just goes against everything I personally believe in. Also the constant whining about electrical rates isn’t going to get better. Yet those individuals who think it is a good thing are most likely to be the ones complaining about their power bills.

I guess what I am trying to say is this. Go read something. Inform yourselves. And if you must speak to a topic please, please, please arm yourself with clear logical arguments. Specifics. I say stupid shit all of the time. I am called out by lots of people in life. And so, I then look for information that can confirm or deny what they say. I am not trying to be better or smarter. I am trying to understand this crazy world we live in. It is so hard to keep up as we age and the world is going faster and faster. But I intend to try at least. And I am certainly not going to get my information from someone who spouts buzzwords and overdone rhetoric. Although the world can seem scary, especially today, with the Inmates running the insane asylum, formerly known as America, it is paramount to arm ourselves with information. Real information. Truth.

I have a friend who hates Trudeau more than anything. It is almost crippling how much she hates him. She is a devout Christian and touts herself on social media as a poverty activist. She believes Justin Trudeau is destroying Canada. Singlehandedly. It is a very common Albertan belief system. I care for her deeply and I know she avoids me because of our differences. I look at this and think to myself, talking and sharing ideas would be the best way to come together. But then again, I don’t know if that can ever happen. It is easier to be around people who agree with you. You never have to defend your position. You never have to cite references which is all a part of political discussions. I don’t care what her friends or her husband think. Or any of the other people whose ideas and buzzwords she latches onto. I want to know what she has gleaned from her own research. I find debates so invigorating. But also informative when the sparring partners come prepared both to learn but also to teach. I love to argue and debate but I also love to exchange ideas. I love the “what about’s” in a conversation. I don’t care to hear the stale old stuff. You know the one’s. Arguments against abortion. Inevitably someone says, well what about rape? That’s not new. Or, Trump will be good for the economy. Whose economy? And at what cost? Don’t regurgitate. Think. I upset my friend because i challenge her beliefs. She believes we can’t talk about politics in order to save the friendship. I question what other topics we need to avoid. And is it worth it.

Life is complicated and it is getting more so everyday. That doesn’t mean we have to fall into line. We can chose to opt out of the bullshit. The lying. The control and the manipulation. These people who throw bullshit at you and encourage you to spread it don’t care about you. There was a time when community and family meant something. People cared for each other and knew they had somewhere to turn for help. Isolationism is no longer just a political policy or doctrine. It has now become the norm from a personal point of view. Protect yourself. Screw everyone else. My money is mine. I want lower taxes. I work hard. Why should I have to help others. Well, that is the rhetoric of the have’s. But it is a short drop from have to have not. And it is scary. So the next time someone shares something that is just a buzzword, or catch phrase, think about where it came from. What does it truly mean? Who is trying to sell you what? I have learned to trust my own instincts. Most importantly I have learned that when I need advice or help I seek it out. I don’t act on unsolicited input. For the most part it has worked out for me. And my bullshit detector is pretty bang on. It needs to be. I live in Alberta.