Mayelana neSifundo
Americans tend to use euphemistic language to soften harsh truths and avoid facing reality. This linguistic evolution is seen in various contexts, from combat conditions like ‘shell shock’ becoming ‘post-traumatic stress disorder’ to everyday terms like ‘toilet paper’ being replaced with ‘bathroom tissue’. Euphemisms are used in corporate, social, political, and military settings to make harsh realities more palatable, such as ‘neutralize’ for ‘kill’ and ‘physically challenged’ for ‘cripples’.
This shift in language impacts perceptions and attitudes by reframing difficult concepts with softer, less direct terminology, like using ‘senior citizens’ instead of ‘old’ or ‘differently abled’ instead of ‘disabled’.