Words of Wisdom — December 13, 2014

Sam Harris: We Have to Reclaim Misused Words

In case you missed it from earlier this week, author Sam Harris visited Big Think to discuss his use of the word “spirituality” and the importance of reappropriating powerful terms.

bigthinkeditor

A weekly newsletter featuring the biggest ideas from the smartest people

In case you missed it from earlier this week, author Sam Harris visited Big Think to discuss his use of the word “spirituality” and the importance of reappropriating powerful terms. He explained how “spooky” words like spiritualism and evil can’t just be buried once society moves past the ill-conceived ways they were once used:

“One burden I think we have is to reclaim good and powerful words no matter how they’ve been misused in the past, no matter what the inconvenient details of their etymology is.”

—

A weekly newsletter featuring the biggest ideas from the smartest people

All Videos

Why Sam Harris is trying to rehabilitate the word ‘spirituality’

The author and neuroscientist argues that, despite its spooky etymology, there’s no better word than “spirituality” to describe the personal and intimate exploration of human consciousness.

▸

4 min

—

with

Sam Harris

Surprising Science

Sam Harris, Spirituality, and the Reclamation of “Spooky” Words

Sam Harris is embarrassed by the word “spirituality” because of its past misuse as a religious term. Despite its spooky etymology though, he argues that there’s no better word in the English language to describe one’s personal and intimate exploration of human consciousness.

Starts With A Bang

Ask Ethan: Does the CMB really “prove” the Big Bang?

Since the mid-1960s, the CMB has been identified with the Big Bang’s leftover glow. Could any alternative explanations still work?

A wasp illustration in blue on grid paper is overlaid on a close-up image of effervescent bubbles in a golden alcoholic liquid.

Health

The first known animal that’s “immune” to alcohol intoxication

Could studying the Oriental hornet lead to a treatment for people with alcohol use disorder?

Collage showcasing a stratospheric balloon soaring over Earth and a close-up of fingers, with "The Nightcrawler" emblazoned at the top, capturing the spirit of a creative renaissance.

Business

How AI is ushering in a creative renaissance

Welcome to The Nightcrawler — a weekly newsletter from Eric Markowitz covering tech, innovation, and long-term thinking.

Up Next

Words of Wisdom

James Weldon Johnson: Judge a Nation By Its Best, Not Its Worst

“Every race and every nation should be judged by the best it has been able to produce, not by the worst.”