Words are like poison, use them carefully

These days we need to use words very carefully specially on social media, because one wrong interpretation can land you in serious trouble. These days, it’s either humorous or a pejorative (formal). It’s use as a humorous term has grown because of the popularity of the “Despicable Me” movie franchise. It is still used for its negative connotations in many contexts. Politics comes to mind but there are certainly other situations. The context will make it clear whether it’s being used humorously or negatively.

"Characterized by or reflecting a state of moral or cultural decline” In the case of food though, people use it all the time to describe things that taste lovely, but are definitely bad for you in some way or another. Like they would cause some kind of decay. For example, a chocolate lava cake; absolutely delicious, but so sweet and calorie dense that you know it’s probably decaying your insides. But damn if it isn’t worth it every time.

For example take this word "Kindred", (at least to me it has the same kind connotations), with the same feelings, thoughts and attitudes, yet different which made it very complex. It's hard to describe someone in one word because you get so much from a person like say Michael Jackson for example, and I can think of many words but this one was strong because he would sometimes briefly stare without saying anything and I would know why and vice versa, a meeting of the minds I guess you could say. If a person was really a good friend to him, one who truly loved him, expecting nothing, then you became one with him and he with you, kindred.

Take another one: Impermanent. Drinking is fun when done in moderation and responsibly. Drinking with friends is something I very much enjoy doing but I am careful to not do it too often. I can’t even count how many times I was unable to be productive the next day as I was not in my right state of mind and/or condition. If you enjoy it, then enjoy it. I enjoy it, so I will continue to enjoy it. But, be sure to enjoy other things more.

Also the word "impulsive" is such a typical one. If someone is impulsive, it means that they act on instinct, without thinking decisions through. If you worked for an entire year to save money for a car and then suddenly decided to spend it all on a diamond tiara instead, that would be an impulsive purchase. Impulses are short, quick feelings, and if someone is in the habit of acting on them, they're impulsive. When stores stock chocolate at the checkout line, they are hoping you will impulsively decide to buy it. When you call the person you have a crush on after promising yourself all day to maintain an air of dignified reserve, that's impulsive behavior. We might also call impulsive behavior whimsical or capricious.

Can you believe a word like awesome is used so well these days for describing anything under the Sun. My first go-to resource for this sort of thing is "Etymonline" - it’s a fantastic website that documents the etymology (or origins) of most words. Their entry for ‘awful’ is here. From that page, ‘awful’ originally meant ‘worthy of respect or fear; causing dread’. You’re quite right to say that its name implies something that inspires awe, which is a good thing (generally). That entry comes from the 1300s. From the 1800s onwards it has gradually taken on negative connotations.

That’s because ‘awe’ is a term for great respect and reverence - terror, even. You can respect someone or something you don’t like. You might not approve of nuclear weapons, but they nevertheless inspire awe because of how powerful they are. They certainly inspire terror. There’s a long list of things that you might describe as being ‘awesome’ or, historically, ‘awful’, even if that thing is likely to kill you. For whatever reason, ‘awful’ has gradually come to take on more of the negative aspects of the word, whereas ‘awesome’ has become more positive. This is part of the way languages evolve. English is full of words that have moved a long way from their meanings.

Think also about ‘terrific’. It has the same root as ‘terror’, but things that you describe as being ‘terrific’ are probably good things that you enjoyed; not things you were scared of. Or ‘horrid’ (and its sister word ‘horrible’), which initially meant something that was hairy. Emily Dickinson (the poet) even described an iron horse (railway locomotive) as moving ‘in horrid, hooting stanza’ (from The Railway Train, by Emily Dickinson). She’s not describing the train as being hairy. English does this sort of thing. One need only to look at words like ‘gay’ and ‘wicked’ to see how wildly meanings can change over time. ‘Awful’ and ‘awesome’ are good examples of words that used to mean largely the same thing, but have since moved miles apart from each other.

Finally you must have read this short form "INFJ" very often about "Intuitive, Feeling, Introverted and Judging. This has so many meanings really speaking. Hyper-sensitive. Observant. Perceptive. Loner. Different. Righteous. Compulsively-honest. Caring. Understanding. Giving. Generous. Warm. Energy-absorbing. Connection-seeking. Intimate. Passionate. Dispassionate. Cold. Distant. Clever. Open-minded. Skeptical. Curious. Naive. Wise. Want-y. Sarcastic. Goofy. Dark. Light. Misunderstood. Exhausted. Deep. Hyper-emotional. Listener. Oblivious. Aware. Behind-the-scenes. Strategic. Logical. Realistic. Romantic. Idealistic. Confusing. Authentic. Truth-seeker. Hurt. Lonely. Forgiving. Teacher. Counselor. Strong. Willful. Capable. Anxious. Calm. Intuitive. Goal-oriented. Powerful. Intense.

I’m sure there are more words to add. For every strength, lies a weakness. For every up, there is a down. Trying to explain who I am to someone just confuses them because there is so much that encompasses me; and a lot of my qualities conflict with one another. The INFJ is a paradox. I am a paradox. On a day when I’m feeling down I may add more negative adjectives. You must agree English is really a funny language. Cheers!