This past Thursday, we discussed something very interesting in class-- God terms vs. Devil terms. To put it simply, God terms are positive, powerful words: such as happiness, freedom, equality, success, etc. These terms indicate good beliefs, morals and values. Devil terms, on the other hand, fuel uneasiness, anger, or even hate. Although these words indicate repulse and insult, they are equally, if not more, emotionally charged terms.
"Can we move past some of the debates around which we disagree and start talking about the things we do agree on"
...When I hear these words, I feel comfort and peace; this is a perfect example of God-term, which is something President Obama is very familiar with.
Abortion is a hot-button issue within the Unites States. Some might even say abortion is a Devil-term. It might make one feel uneasy, angry, or even hateful. These debates are always addressed when our country is deciding on it's next president. The video below is an obvious instance that displays Obama's excellent use of God-terms when talking about a hypothetical Devil-term. By using insightful words, it makes people feel comfortable and at ease-- and overall happy. Even if you do not agree with him, it's hard not to respect Obama's stance on it, simply because of the magnificant way he describes his views. Using words like "TRUST", "coming together", "agreeing, not disagreeing", "move forward, not look back", etc. show positivity. Rather than weighing heavily on his belief, he uses words and tone that allow his listeners to look at a bigger picture. There is no clear cut, indefinite answer to a subject like abortion-- and you can't please everyone; but as a good speaker, Obama stays away from Devil-terms to keep even a hot-button issue inspiring.
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I feel that God-terms tie in with my interest in public relations. In that field, much like in a politician's world, it is obviously important to say and do the right things to maintain one's image. Using God-terms goes hand in hand with that concept, and Obama does a fantastic job displaying that.
Do you think that the political use of God terms are important? And are Devil-terms necessary in politics to bring a "real" factor to their words?
Emily-
ReplyDeleteI think you did an awesome job with this blog! I do agree with you for most everything you said concerning God terms and Devil terms. The clip you have provided to display your points was accurately chosen and was a definite aid at understanding your concepts more fully. Considering I choose to do a blog on Devil and God terms, I would to say now, that personally think that politicians excessively overuse God terms. I wonder how much more would get done if the Presidents had to hold up to real hot-button issues rather than dancing around them in a cloud of God terms?
Emily- A very interesting clip and commentary! I agree with your observation that Obama is a skilled user of God terms, *and* with Alexa's comment that politicians overuse God terms. (My sense is that in this clip, Obama does not "overuse.") Since you are writing about language, I encourage you to be precise and careful about your own language choices. Your first entry (for example) would be clearer if you replaced the words "inspiring" and "indefinite" with more appropriate terms. Finally: Don't forget to include a critical thinking question at the end of each posting!
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