George Lakoff

All thought is carried out by neural circuitry — it does not float in air. Language neurally activates thought. Language can thus change brains, both for the better and the worse.

Hate speech changes the brains of those hated for the worse. It creates toxic stress, fear and distrust — all physical, all in one’s neural circuitry active every day.

This internal harm can be even more severe than an attack with a fist.

Dec 2, 2022 at 8:19pmWeb
Show threadGeorge LakoffDec 2, 2022
It imposes on the freedom to think and therefore to act free of fear, threats, and distrust.
It imposes on one’s ability to think and act like a fully free citizen for a long time.
Hate speech can also change the brains of those with mild prejudice, moving it towards hate and threatening action. When hate is physically in your brain, then you think hate and feel hate, you are moved to act to carry out what you physically, in your neural system, think and feel.
Show threadGeorge LakoffDec 2, 2022
That is why hate speech in not “mere” speech.
Show threadStroomAfwaarts 🌱Dec 4, 2022
@georgelakoff
This is also why I always tell people that bones heal easier than feelings, when someone brings up the old "sticks and stones may break my bones, etc".
As a former target of bullies, I know better.
Show threadLaloofahDec 6, 2022
@StroomAfwaarts
I could not agree with you more. (And am sorry you suffered bullying too.)
Show threadNitin BDec 4, 2022
@georgelakoff Anecdotal evidence - I have also observed that bigotry requires an erasing of detail and nuance and goes towards binary Us-vs-Them world. Creates a pixelated dumbed down world view with a small number of categories and hence a reductionist view of the world. Does it cause cognitive decline? Or at least temporarily reduced cognitive capability?
Show threadJDN 6Dec 3, 2022
@georgelakoff
Prof Lakoff, glad to see you on Mastodon!
We read your book “Moral Politics” in my Senior capstone course at CSUB…fantastic book that I still recommend to folks when the subject of politics is brought up.
Be well 🤙🤓
Show threadKatmaDec 4, 2022

@georgelakoff Thank goodness you are here! I’ve been trying to wrap my head around how to deal with the upsurge in hate speech. Looking forward to reading your perspective.

BTW: I’ve given Don’t Think of an Elephant and The Little Blue Book to several people. Such important books!

Show threadJoel at Seldon CrisisDec 4, 2022
@georgelakoff Very interesting! Some may see this an attack on free speech or cancel culture. For others it might be their only opportunity for healing.
Show threadWoodwardDianneJDec 4, 2022
@georgelakoff Just imagine the effect on the hater who is bound by all that toxic emotion, fear & distrust, while projecting all their own inferiority on to another human being. Not exactly the pinnacle of human development.
Show threadJames CoreyDec 4, 2022

@georgelakoff I agree completely, though I seldom hear anyone say it this way. Hate speech creates not just mental but physical unwellness -- and not just for the hated, but for the hater as well. And reduces mental acuity.

In fact, though I have more sympathy and support for the one who is hated, I suppose if I believed in souls, I would worry more for the soul of the hater. It's such a bad road to embark upon, and scary to think that people do so unwittingly.

Speech can indeed cause harm.

Show threadMarilyn FreedmanDec 6, 2022
@georgelakoff And we can use our own internal language to combat that toxic stew. I think the hate speech is not going away. I think there is no N95 mask to keep it at bay, like you can with a virus. But we can build some sort of internal medicine to treat the effects.
Show threadSionaDec 21, 2022
@georgelakoff Is the implication then that reassuring and #supportive speech can have a similarly powerful effect in a #healing direction? (So delighted to find you here-- #Philosophy in the Flesh remains one of my favorite books ever.)