After a night of difficult homework, my best friend asserted, “‘homework wastes time’” but my teacher argued, “‘homework exercises the brain’”. Euphemism, substitution of the softer ‘exercises the brain’ for a much harsher ‘wastes time’, downplayed the student’s criticism and turned the criticism into an argument that benefits the teacher. Both phrases in this case refer to similar meanings of self assurance but imply different connotations that drastically change the effect of the words. Throughout the English language, numerous words exist to convey the same idea and provoke different reactions from various audiences. White leaders often take advantage of euphemisms to belittle malfeasance and exert power over minority groups. White editors, …show more content…
In middle school, one time, I overheard a conversation between caucasian and colored students, both of whom were coordinating a school project together, but the caucasian students dominated the project and refused to listen to the advice from students of color. The colored students called the white students “bigoted”, but the white students preferred “individualistic”. The positive connotation of ‘individualistic’, which enhanced the reputation of the white students more than the negative connotation of ‘bigoted’, which actually endangered reputations of colored students. The suggestion of ‘individualistic’ by white students to replace ‘bigoted, which was offered by colored students, contributes to the inferiority of colored ideas as opposed to white ideas and annihilates the self-esteem of black students, whilst boosting the ego of white students. Despite different connotations, both words refer to an intolerance of new ideas by white students. By shutting down the ideas of black students, white students end healthy collaboration between races and suggests that the ideas of colored students are not as valid as the ideas of white students. As a result, euphemisms raise the egos of white leaders by lowering the egos of colored subjects, thereby discouraging racial