At the start of 2020, I pivoted this blog to share definitions of new words and terms I learned from the extensive learning I was doing for enjoyment. I was learning everything Khan Academy had on art history as background for learning to paint. I was also learning all sorts of things via podcasts ranging from technology to relationships, economics to psychology, and more. Extensive vocabulary came with this extensive learning because they were mostly topics I either didn’t know a lot about, or didn’t know nearly enough for the level of content to which I was listening.
Vocabulary
Create Your Own Vocabulary Once in a While
Do you have any words, terms, or idioms you can call your own, whether you invented them or solely used them in your circles? If not, try coming up with or finding some!
Live Updated List of the Thousands of New Words and Terms I am Learning in 2020
Definition: Courtesy Bias
Courtesy Bias
A bias where people unconsciously say, and feel, things others would probably deem to be socially acceptable, rather than the truth they would feel in a different situation, especially when different people, or nobody, were present.
From the TEDTalk Daily podcast linked below…
The definition I gave above is actually a truer, and fuller, definition than those found in other places like this Alleydog site. That’s because, if you listen to the TEDTalk Daily podcast linked, we don’t always know we’re doing this! That’s why it’s a “bias” and not some completely deliberate action. Biases, rather than conscious choice, are a lot harder to fix. Sort of like how you can’t solve something if you weren’t either aware of it, or be willing to admit it. The typical given definitions suggests we are aware and making a conscious choice to show courtesy bias, but sadly, it ain’t so!
Definition: Psychological Immune System
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.
- More info from Psychology Today
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.
Digital Citizen 