A DICTIONARY OF ‘CHANGE’
Preface
For many, many years I’ve been fascinated by words and their power to shape our conception of what’s possible. It occurs to me that we create the meanings of words in our minds – not in the dictionary – and then check our understanding with others to make sure we are ‘right’. In this way, many words – particularly those used in the business world – have acquired shared meanings that have little to do with their etymology, and are not very useful either. As we’ll see in this Dictionary, ‘boss’, ‘manage’, ‘change’ and even ‘the company’ have developed often negative connotations at odds with their origins. And the point of A Dictionary…is to show us that by going back to those origins, new meanings, and with that, new possibilities for thinking and behavior, are open to us.
(New Year’s) Resolution
The Dictionary Definition (what the books say)
1.a formal expression of opinion or intention made, usually after voting, by a formal organization, a legislature, a club, or other group. Compare concurrent resolution, joint resolution.
2.a resolve or determination: to make a firm resolution to do something.
3.the act of resolving or determining upon an action or course of action, method, procedure, etc.
4.the mental state or quality of being resolved or resolute; firmness of purpose.
5.the act or process of resolving or separating into constituent or elementary parts.
The Established Meaning (what we say to ourselves and each other)
I’ll try. But don’t count on it. See the Philip Larkin poem ‘As bad as a mile’
The Etymology (the origins of the word)
Early 15c., “a breaking into parts,” from L. resolutionem (nom. resolutio) “process of reducing things into simpler forms,” from pp. stem of resolvere “loosen” (see resolve)
The Possible Meaning (what those origins suggest we learn)
It’s a cliché that New Year’s Resolutions are as likely to fail – almost at the moment of their inception, like Larkin’s disastrous apple – as to succeed. Perhaps, as with promises, we should think carefully about doing them at all rather than devalue their currency by ‘having another go’. Maybe the weakness in most NYRs comes from a subliminal confusing of resolution with revolution – at the revolving, the turning around, of the year we consider turning around our behavior, from this to that, from no gym to lots of gym, from lots of booze to no booze. Maybe more power would come from replacing the turning around concept. It never feels like a true volte face in any case, I find, more like wrestling a recalcitrant mule to move when it doesn’t want to. So let’s replace turning with creating. Not at the turn of the year, but at the source the start, the birth of a new year, let’s tap into all that sense of BEGININNIG and create something new in our lives. And here’s where we can access the etymology of resolution: the process of reducing things into simpler forms. So let’s strip this creating down to its essential elements. Let’s not have it burdened with trying to or hoping to or being motivated to. And what are the essential elements of human creation? Think, Say, Do. So, for example, I am creating health and vitality in my life, and one of the channels for that will be the gym. So what’s my highest, most productive thought I have about this? That health and vitality is an adventure for me? Or an expression of what I could become in the world? Or the foundation of my integrity? And what are the conversations I can have that will have that come about? Friday pm check ins with my personal trainer about commitment to next week’s gym times. And Do? See the entry for Action. Weak agreements, weak results: strong agreement strong results…
CHANGE (N) and (V.)
The Dictionary Definition (what the books say)
To make the form, nature, content, future course, etc., of (something) different from what it is or from what it would be if left alone: to change one’s name; to change one’s opinion; to change the course of history.
The Established Meaning (what we say to ourselves and each other)
A stress-inducing alteration from what makes one comfortable or safe; an imposition forced on us by people claiming to make things better but in fact making things worse; the unpredictability of the future; an unavoidable inevitability, but generally about as welcome as taxation.
(Managing change): To seek control over what ought to happen; to determine how things turn out; to have to deal with people and their feelings and such.
The Etymology (the origins of the word)
c.1225, from O.Fr. changier, from L.L. cambiare, from L. cambire “to exchange, barter,” of Celtic origin, from PIE base *kamb- “to bend, crook.”
The Possible Meaning (what those origins suggest we learn)
The etymology reminds us of what we can often forget when faced with change, that all change is an exchange. Something may be taken away, but something is always given in return. It is important to discipline ourselves to locate both elements, and not focus only on the loss or the negative.
In this ‘exchange’, we can see too that there is something we are both giving and receiving in any change. What are we asked to take from it? What are we being asked to give to it? These can be profound questions, but in exploring them we can find the personal growth that leads to better confidence, esteem and power for future changes.
In the concept of ‘Kamb’, we can contemplate any change from the viewpoint of bending to accommodate the change. It causes us to consider that any reaction to change that causes us to go rigid – by being tough or hard in the mistaken idea that this is the same as ‘being strong’ – is maybe not going to be the most productive response. How can we bend ourselves, like the tree in the wind. The truck is solid – as are our values or commitments – but the branches move – as may our mindset, emotions, attitude or behaviors.
‘Kamb’ is also the source of camber which, amongst other things, is the convex curvature of a road. Why is a road made like that? For two reasons: it helps cars stay gripped to the road, particularly around more severe bends, and because it helps the rainwater drain off. In both cases, having a camber is useful. Indeed it is suggested that one of the main historical examples of kambing was to bend a branch such that it could be turned into a bow for hunting. Again, kambing makes the branch more useful.
So here is another challenge: how can we encourage ourselves and each other to find the usefulness of this change? What is being made more useful – by development or improvement of the existing state – by embracing this change? And, finally, how can we be more useful to this change, rather than standing back and wishing it weren’t happening?
BOSS (N)
The Dictionary Definition
- a person who employs or superintends workers; manager.
- a politician who controls the party organization, as in a particular district.
- a person who makes decisions, exercises authority, dominates, etc.: My grandfather was the boss in his family.
–verb (used with object)
- to be master of or over; manage; direct; control.
- to order about, esp. in an arrogant manner.
The Established Meaning
(vb) To be master of or over; manage; direct; control.
(vb) To order about, esp. in an arrogant manner.
(n) The object of our resentment and scorn.
The Etymology
“overseer,” 1649, Amer.Eng., from Du. baas “a master,” origin obscure; original sense seems to have been “uncle,” so perhaps it is related to O.H.G. basa “aunt.”
The Possible Meaning
Maybe you have fond memories of Aunts and Uncles that you could bring to mind when you next complain about your boss, to help you soften the emotions? Even if not, the origin of the word ‘boss’ indicates that, however we feel about them, we are related to those above us: not by blood, but by the subtle interplay of thought, speech and behavior that is the unavoidable dynamic of organizations. We are in relation with our bosses: they are as they are because we are how we are; and because their – and our – forefathers were as they were. And – as we may well become parents and aunts and uncles too – we may well get our own chance to find all this out?
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