Comments on: In Defense of Buzzwords … Sort Of

By: Paul Derham

Paul Derham — Wed, 14 Jan 2009 21:40:14 +0000

I agree with your conclusion Matt. I think it’s important that you know how to use buzzwords – it makes you a better communicator – I blogged on this, too – http://visionadvancement.wordpress.com/2009/01/15/buzzwords-%e2%80%93-friend-or-foe/

By: Garrett Wishall

Garrett Wishall — Fri, 09 Jan 2009 20:32:07 +0000

Matt,

I find that buzz language can develop among disciples of a compelling mentor. This particularly happens if a mentor has a strong and likeable personality.

For example, I am on a seminary campus. It is not hard to tell which professor is the favorite of certain students. In the way they make arguments, explain ideas and use illustrations it is clear: student X follows professor X.

This happen in any context: church, workplace, ministry. I seek to pick up the ideas of mentors without becoming exactly like them. I want to the person God has created me to be, while learning from those who are wiser and godlier than I. And I want to become like Christ, not like them, while still learning and gleaning from them.

By: Jonathan Lange

Jonathan Lange — Wed, 07 Jan 2009 02:10:04 +0000

This sounds a lot like the “dead metaphors” idea in Orwell’s _Politics and the English Language_.[1]

A classic example from Christian circles is the phrase “born again”, which totters between jargon and profound truth in many people’s heads (incl. my own).

I had more typed, but I mistyped the captcha and lost it all Also, it’s not clear how much markup I can use in comments.

I like your blog btw, please keep posting.

[1] http://www.mtholyoke.edu/acad/intrel/orwell46.htm