
Every culture has its bits of wisdom or truisms passed on from generation to generation, but in recent years, new terms and catch phases representing certain ideas and concepts have emerged. Marketers and PR specialists have branched out and now work for organisations that sell ideas, not just products. This has lead to the use of catchphrases which become adopted without question because they appeal to our perception of what they mean. As anyone who reads my writing knows, I advocate for people to reflect on their beliefs and thinking habits to form a philosophy that supports their best life. For this reason, I am cautious of people who speak in slogans.
There are plenty of good slogans that positively affect our thoughts and beliefs as well as those of others. "There is no way to happiness; happiness is the way." Thich Nhat Hanh. "We cannot solve our problems with the same thinking we used when we created them." Albert Einstein. These quotes have become slogans which I also use because I have reflected on them and believe they contain wisdom. However, not all slogans are so clear in their intent.
In Canada, we honour those who lost their lives in service of their country on November 11th. A number of years ago, a family member who was attending a memorial on Remembrance Day explained: "I going to honour those who fought for our freedom." That is certainly an honourable sentiment, and I too respect those who make sacrifices for community and country, but is that why wars are actually fought? To protect our freedoms? With very few exceptions, wars are fought for wealth and power and, in modern times, are part of a geopolitical strategy. Governments manufacture consent through propaganda in both dictatorships and democracies. The use of slogans is often a tool used to normalise and gain support for ideas people wouldn't subscribe to if they reflected on them more carefully.
One of the great things about growing up in Vancouver, Canada, was my exposure to incredible cultural diversity. This experience was further enhanced as I travelled to many different places in the world. I have also had the great fortune of working with people from a wide range of cultures. For this reason, I embrace the ideas of "diversity and inclusion". I also work for a company in Canada whose CEO recently stated: "We need diversity and inclusion because I don't want a company where everyone thinks exactly like me." This closely reflects my understanding of this slogan. Unfortunately, some promote diversity and inclusion that is limited to race and gender while openly discriminating and censoring people whose political or ideological views differ from their own. This is no different than conservative religious groups in the past who tried to encourage censorship and school curriculum to reflect their ideology. Such co-opting of good ideas makes me hesitant to use the phrase to avoid promoting ideas that distort my intentions.
I too use slogans or mantras to summarise ideas, but I know the meaning and intention behind what I am saying. I try to carefully consider how the words I use represent my ideas. So next time you repeat the slogans you repeat think about what they mean to you. How do these ideas affect your psychology? We live in a complex world where an oversimplification of ideas that require nuance is leading to a great deal of polarisation. If we want to make a better world, we need more debate, understanding, compassion and cooperation. If you are going to use a slogan, use only those that align with your own highest intentions.
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