Pondering Euphemisms

As a writer, I'm perhaps more sensitive to the words that were once commonplace but are now being replaced with euphemisms, presumably to lessen their impact.

aka a prostitute (attribution below)

For example, I hear the word "unhoused" a lot. Wait, do they mean "homeless"? Yes, they do. But "unhoused," doesn't sound so dire. Labeling someone as "homeless" taints them, apparently. In my opinion, however, saying someone is "unhoused" clouds the picture, doesn't it? Isn't it easier to ignore the plight of someone who's "unhoused" as opposed to "homeless"?

I've also read that "senior citizen" is becoming passé. It's now better to use the term "older adult" for someone who is 65 or over. (Mr. Ginley says he's not giving up his soon-to-be "senior citizen" status; he wants all the discounts.)

There are a gazillion other examples, too. Our friends in human resources, for example, have created a cottage industry inventing variations on "fired". I've heard the following. Note that in all cases, it's not "me" or "we" but "the company," a nameless, faceless entity:

• "You're being separated from the company."
• "The organization is downsizing."
• "The company is moving in a new direction."
• "The business is being restructured."
• "Your position is being eliminated."
• "You to step away from the organization."
• "You're being offboarded."

All of these are meant to soften the blow of being shit-canned, but they don't really. Even knowing you're not the only one getting the boot is cold comfort. And getting let go is something that stays with you, even as you move on to better things.

Bear in mind, I'm not condoning we use hurtful words or labels. Racial slurs and mean-spirited phrases are never acceptable. I was once schooled for unwittingly using the word "retarded" (referring to a process, not a person) because someone in the room had a sibling with mental challenges. You don't know what people's lives are like, and you don't get to decide what's going to send them to a bad place. In all things, be kind. If you're not sure, use a different word. There are plenty to choose from.

But I digress.

My point is, when we use jargon and flowery language to cover up topics we're uncomfortable with, we risk losing our humanity. The Vietnam War has been labeled a "conflict." Medical personnel refer to the deceased as "having a negative patient outcome." The poor are "economically disadvantaged." Those who lie are "truth-challenged." The people who stormed the Capitol were laughably labeled as "tourists." And, of course, the Nazis were masters of this technique, with phrases like "the final solution." 

Is it tricky to deliver hard truths? 

Sure. But shouldn't we always be transparent?

*Photo attribution: Turner, Snow Hill, Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons.