Words and expressions are incredibly important and powerful, especially with regard to how we describe and treat each other. Today, I wanted to talk to you all about nouns and adjectives. Please permit a brief trip back to elementary school: a noun is a word that is something while an adjective is a word that describes something. An adjective cannot exist without a noun to describe. These terms apply to all things, not just things relating to humans. An apple is a noun, and red is an adjective. I would argue, however, that these terms take on significant meaning when used to describe ourselves and those around us. By forgetting the difference between nouns and adjectives, we allow ourselves to cause divisions and forget the humanity of those whom we perceive to be different.
The first step that we must take is to decide, with regards to us what is the noun and what are the adjectives. What defines us, and what describes us. Upon reflection, I will say that in my eyes, ‘human’ is the noun. Human is always the noun. We are all human and we are always human. The adjectives, then, must be everything else that can be used to describe a human. That list is extensive, and includes but is not limited to skin colour, language, country of origin, citizenship, gender, career, religion, wealth, etc. Now, I know this point can carry controversies. There are groups that have been subjugated to years of belittlement and misrepresentation that empower themselves through defining their group as a noun instead of an adjective, and I would never try to disenfranchise those groups from doing that. Instead, I will say that my point is simple: no matter how else you describe yourselves, human is always the central noun, for that is where we all begin and where we all end.
As we all begin and end as human, it is the thing that unites us. It is the common thread of every human living on this planet. When we begin to use adjectives to define ourselves instead of nouns, we begin to ignore that common humanity. We divide ourselves and we rob ourselves of that similarity. We also begin to disenfranchise each other by ignoring our shared humanity and instead focusing on the differences that exist. Think for a moment on how those marginalized in our population are often described Do you ever hear the word human when they’re being described, or do you instead hear them referred to only by something that describes them? We are so much more willing to overlook or ignore another’s suffering when we don’t think of them as the same as us.
Maybe we should all take the time when we are writing or talking to say that common noun. To remind ourselves that no matter how different they might seem from us, that the people we’re talking about are still human, just like us. We are, all of us, so much more the same than different.
Until Next Time,
The Wandering Scott