Vocabulary

Definitions of new words and concepts I learned with them.

Definition: Psychological Immune System

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Psychological Immune System

A concept parallel to the physical immune system, to describe one’s ability to resist or accept change, both good and bad, the way the physical immune system can reject things intended to be good for the body like organ transplants.

 

The linked article doesn’t offer the same definition, and doesn’t talk about the resistance to good changes, either. I learned about the concept in a more easily understandable way via the episode of the new The Happiness Lab podcast linked below.

https://twitter.com/digitalcitizen/status/1180638813770719232

Definition: Myopia Theory

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Myopia Theory

Theorizes that when under influence of enough alcohol, the here and now is not only what matters most to you, but also influences what matters to you. That is, you don’t think much about the future and potential consequences, but that also in not thinking, you let your environment determine how you act and feel such that you experience very different things under the same influence if in a quiet bar by yourself versus a crowded and rowdy frat party.

 

More formally…

A cognitive-physiological theory on alcohol abuse in which many of alcohol’s social and stress-reducing effects, which may underlie its addictive capacity, are explained as a consequence of alcohol’s narrowing of perceptual and cognitive functioning.

 

The first explanation is a lot easier to understand, in my opinion. I got it from Malcolm Gladwell in this podcast episode below, talking with Oprah Winfrey.

https://twitter.com/digitalcitizen/status/1180875837727498240

 

Definition: Blackout Drunk

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Blackout drunk

Memory loss (NOT passing out) from being drunk.

 

This one was news to me, being someone who did not drink. However, it seems it would also be news to a LOT of people. Otherwise, you wouldn’t find so many sources online explaining it!

 

I heard about this definition via a podcast with Malcolm Gladwell, but also got more information via a video embedded below.

Definition: Informal Urbanism

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Informal Urbanism

The production of urbanization independent from formal frameworks
and assistance (if they exist) that do not comply with official rules and regulations.

 

Less formally, DIY alterations to urban spaces, especially public spaces, by people.

 

Here more about it, and many examples positive and negative, in the 99 Percent Invisible podcast episode below.

 

https://twitter.com/digitalcitizen/status/1180610556581036034

Definition: Vaginal Seeding (aka microbirthing)

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Vaginal Seeding (or Microbirthing)

Vaginal seeding, also known as microbirthing, is a procedure whereby vaginal fluids (and hence vaginal microbes) are applied to a new-born child delivered by caesarean section. … It involves placing swabs in the mother’s vagina, and then wiping them into the baby’s face, mouth, eyes and skin.

 

It all sounds very holistic and symbolically “romantic” in the sense of trying to bring something artificial a lot closer to natural. It seems plausible that this could imbue the baby with what it lost in artificial delivery compared to natural delivery.

But, alas, the research says not to do it.

The link is in this most fascinating of articles from the BBC.

https://twitter.com/digitalcitizen/status/1174852656940158976