guided by words

Although advocates for politically correct language have become a center for ridicule, their ideology does have legitimate roots. Language and thought processes strongly affect each other in a process known as linguistic determinism. Or in simpler terms, that the language we speak affects the way we think.

Psychologists have long studied the effects of language on behavior and they have realized surprising results. Alongside culture, language indeed does have a significant impact on our thought processes. Some cultures, which don't have the word for specific colors, have a much harder time distinguishing those colors from others. Among people who live in the same culture, differing only by language, they still display differences in thought. Certain languages tend to produce happier people, while other languages may tend to produce more hardworking people. 

Now of course, it's near impossible and unethical to completely isolate all other factors in a scientific study except language so the exactness to which language impacts thinking cannot truly be determined. However, the studies conducted does give a hint on the impact of language. 

So perhaps with the advent of politically correct language, we are headed towards a right direction. We may be headed towards a society where our words display our acceptance of each other and the power of linguistic determinism also guides our inner beliefs towards those ideals. For those who claim that usage of politically correct language only masks our problems, hold steady, because with time, our beliefs will likely follow the words we speak. 

Certainly, the effects of small linguistic changes do not appear to be immediately noticeable. Changing "superman" to encompass all "superperson[s]" doesn't seem to be empowering any women, but the additive effects of all language have an impact that is undeniable. When my sister and I used to watch cartoons, I remember her complaining that the characters she identified with, women, were never the group leaders. The female characters were always sidekicks, friends or even in superhero movies, just a member of the group. So she became accustomed to seeing women guided by men, to see in textbooks all the Einstein's, William's, James's in search of a rare female who did something great and she told me one day while crying that "girls can't do anything as well as a boy". 

People are biologically wired to learn, whether through media, other people, or the words we use. Generally, we tend to live up the ideals our culture and society expresses. So with a search for language that is all encompassing and empowering to people of all kind, hopefully one day every young kid can see that he or she too can aspire to be great.