Vocabulary

Definitions of new words and concepts I learned with them.

Definition: Truth Default Theory (TDT)

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Truth Default Theory (TDT)

Truth Default Theory is a communication theory which predicts and explains the use of veracity and deception detection in humans. This theory gets its name from its central idea which is the truth-default state. This idea suggests that people presume others to be honest because they either don’t think of deception as a possibility during communicating or because there is insufficient evidence lending them unable to prove they are being deceived.

 

For MUCH more information, and some stunning examples, check out this podcast episode of Revisionist History, called the Queen of Cuba.

https://twitter.com/digitalcitizen/status/1167230714267484162

Definition: Invasion Sports

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Invasion sports

Sports where you have to try to get a “ball” and/or person past another person.

 

More formally…

Invasion sports are team games in which the purpose is to invade the opponent’s territory while scoring points and keeping the opposing team’s points to a minimum, and all within a defined time period.

 

But I like it less because points are generally a given, so is getting more points or minimizing points against, to try to win, along with a time period. But that’s organized sports for you. You can just play and go with the first definition I have.

 

From a long and engaging episode of the Rich Roll podcast with remarkable research by David Epstein on why generalists beat specialists. You have to  listen to this research in this age of hyper-specialization that may be good for some niche things, but leaves us worse off overall. A balance can and should be struck, as with everything, but if you want to be the best you can be, go be more of a generalist than a specialist.

https://twitter.com/digitalcitizen/status/1171225948487933952

Learn About New Emotions so You can Get Them

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Supposedly, if you learn about new emotions, you can experience if you get the chance to. That is, you just need to know about them, then be in a situation where they might be the appropriate emotional response. Well, here are 9 you might want to learn about and experience. I think they’re pretty good to have! What they mean is in the TED Talk in the video at end. Enjoy!

  • Hwyl
  • Ilinx
  • Gezellegheid
  • Basorexia
  • Accidie
  • Toska
  • Awumbuk
  • Amae
  • Depaysement

Definition: Sonder

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Sonder

The realization that each random passerby is living a life as vivid and complex as your own—populated with their own ambitions, friends, routines, worries and inherited craziness—an epic story that continues invisibly around you like an anthill sprawling deep underground, with elaborate passageways to thousands of other lives that you’ll never know existed, in which you might appear only once, as an extra sipping coffee in the background, as a blur of traffic passing on the highway, as a lighted window at dusk.

 

The profound feeling of realizing that everyone, including strangers passed in the street, has a life as complex as one’s own, which they are constantly living despite one’s personal lack of awareness of it.

 

This seems to be a word created rather than an actual word, but who cares? If it gives you a profound concept there needs to be a word for, then add it to your vocabulary! In this age of unprecedented narcissism with social media, a realization and appreciation of the complexity facing others is a very good thing!

Definition: Hostile Architecture

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Hostile architecture

Architecture designed with intent to combat a problem to the user/s, or which the user/s deem a hostile condition.

Examples you see include:

  • Spikes in roof beams to deter pigeons from nesting there
  • Arm rests at the ends of short benches or in the middle of longer ones to deter people from sleeping there
  • Blue lights in public or retail bathrooms to deter drug use cause the blue light makes it harder to find veins for needles
  • Bright white stairs to public buildings to make people who might sleep there really visible
  • Waterproof paints for boats used on buildings around night clubs where people might pee outside in alleys or the back, away from sight of most others, only to have their pee splash back on them

Once you know the concept, you can see it in many more places you might not have recognized, as mentioned in the podcast below. Only a few examples above were in the podcast. The rest I thought about once enlightened to the concept!

The podcast, below, though, is one of THE BEST podcast episodes I have ever listened to, having listened to over 500 now. It’s not only eye opening, but ridiculously hilarious for real life developments (not jokes). I would highly recommend it!

https://twitter.com/digitalcitizen/status/1160717689544986631