The Dangers of "Concept Creep"

The Art of Manliness

Philosophy, Society & Culture, Education

4.7 • 14.8K Ratings

🗓️ 23 March 2022

⏱️ 40 minutes

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Summary

Trauma. Violence. Bullying. Addiction. The range of things that these words encompass has expanded over time, and while my guest today would say that changes in how language is used are natural and inevitable, he also argues that the way we use words matters and has consequences, and that we need to better grapple with what those consequences are.

His name is Dr. Nick Haslam and he's a professor of psychology at the University of Melbourne who has studied a phenomenon he calls "concept creep," which refers to the tendency of concepts having to do with harm — from trauma to depression — to broaden their meaning over time. Nick describes how concept creep happens in two ways — vertical and horizontal — and occurs both amongst clinicians and the general public. He explains what he thinks is behind concept creep, and how the way we talk about harm-related concepts changes how people experience themselves and life, bringing new kinds of identities and new kinds of people into existence. Nick argues that while there are upsides to concept creep, it also carries potential dangers that can negatively impact our lives.

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Transcript

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0:00.0	Brut McKay here and welcome to another edition of the Art of Malinus podcast, Trauma,
0:11.6	Violence, Bullying, Addiction.
0:14.4	The range of things that these words and compass has expanded over time.
0:17.2	And while my guest today would say that changes in how languages use are natural and
0:21.0	evident, he also are used that the way we use words matters has consequences, and that
0:24.9	we need a better grapple with what those consequences are.
0:27.4	His name is Dr. Nick Haslam, professor of psychology at the University of Melbourne,
0:31.2	who studied a phenomenon he calls concept creep, which refers to the tendency of concepts
0:35.1	having to do with harm from trauma to depression to broaden their meaning over time.
0:39.6	Nick describes how concept creep happens in two ways, vertical and horizontal, and occurs
0:43.3	both amongst clinicians in the general public.
0:45.5	He explains what he thinks is behind concept creep, and how the way we talk about harm-related
0:49.3	concepts changes how people experience themselves in life, bringing new kinds of identities and
0:53.4	new kinds of people into existence.
0:55.5	Nick argues that while they're up sides to concept creep, it also carries potential dangers
0:58.9	that can negatively impact our lives.
1:01.0	After shows over, check out our show at a-wim.is slash concept creep.
1:21.0	You are a psychologist who has researched and written about an idea that you call concept
1:27.3	creep in psychology, and we're going to get into the details about this, but broadly speaking,
1:32.9	how would you describe concept creep?
1:35.9	Well, concept creep is just the tendency for concepts to do with harm, that is concepts
1:40.2	to do with suffering or pain or damage or destruction, to broaden their meanings over
	...

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