Wednesday 22 April 2015

You never stop learning

I learned a new word today - no, not one of those frowned upon in polite society; if there is such a thing any more.

It's alethephobia.

Derived from Greek ( aletheia is ancient Greek for truth; and 
phobia is ancient Greek for (irrational) fear) it means "a fear of truth".

According to Urban Dictionary:

Alethephobia is Fear of Truth. It can fall into several categories. As a condition it is treated as irrational fear putting the person in an incapacitated state of mobility to a racing anticipation at the mildest. It can be fear of discovery. Fear of hearing anticipated bad news. It is knowledge of the truth being potentially disclosed and disseminated. It transverses other well known and otherwise described phobias but always is rooted in fear of the truth subjectively, objectively, relatively, or as a primary motivator of basis in individual condition.

The appalling grammar of that fragment aside, the word itself is just so attractive, and describes so many people in so many situations.

I think I will have to use it on my son's teachers. It would make a great lead-in to the "discussion" I need to have with them about the latest inanity (insanity?) that they are teaching - truth is not absolute, but personal; and everybody has their own.

Thinking about it more, maybe that's not something to raise in a teacher/parent conference.

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