2c9f1a3f3d
* Added excerpt for ok-hand * Added excerpt for AsAm * Added excerpt for East Asian * Added excerpt for South Asian * Added excerpt for SE Asian * Added excerpt for bierasure * Added excerpt for biromantic * Added excerpt for bisexual * Added excerpt for cisgender * Added excerpt for crazy * Add excerpt for dumb * Add excerpt for derpy * Add excerpt for digital blackface * Add excerpt for dude * Add excerpt for ESL * Add excerpt for fatphobia * Add excerpt for gaslighting * Add excerpt for gender pronouns * Add excerpt for Hispanic * Add excerpt for hysterical * Add excerpt for latino * Add excerpt for latinx * Add excerpt for mansplain * Add excerpt for minorities * Add excerpt for minoritised * Add excerpt for neopronouns * Add excerpt for non-binary * Add excerpt for OCD * Add excerpt for Oriental * Add excerpt for ORM * Add excerpt for pansexual * Add excerpt for performative allyship * Add excerpt for polyamory * Add excerpt for pow-wow * Add excerpt for preferred pronouns * Add excerpt for pronouns * Add excerpt for r-word * Add excerpt for sane * Add excerpt for sanity check * Add excerpt for savage * Add excerpt for spaz * Add excerpt for suicide * Add excerpt for tone deaf * Add excerpt for transfeminine * Add excerpt for URM * Add excerpt for unreal * Add excerpt for white feminism * Add excerpt for white fragility * Add excerpt for women and people of colour * Add excerpt for transgender * Fix spelling for "existence" Co-authored-by: Tatiana Mac <github@tatianamac.com> * Fix wording for digital blackface excerpt Co-authored-by: Tatiana Mac <github@tatianamac.com> * Add indicators for flag levels Co-authored-by: Tatiana Mac <github@tatianamac.com> * Revert "Add indicators for flag levels" This reverts commit a291d5fa668156970e2496710bd6c39a53819e1b, because the flag level is already indicated in the excerpt structure. Co-authored-by: Oscar <ovlb@users.noreply.github.com> Co-authored-by: Tatiana Mac <github@tatianamac.com> Co-authored-by: Tatiana Mac <tatiana.t.mac@gmail.com>
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| title | slug | flag | defined | excerpt | speech | alt_words | reading | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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| dumb | dumb |
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true | non-verbal, non-speaking, silent, refraining from speaking or unable to speak; sometimes __mute__ which can also be ableist; colloquially used to mean unintelligent or senseless | adjective |
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non-verbal, non-speaking, silent, refraining from speaking or unable to speak; sometimes mute which can also be ableist; colloquially used to mean unintelligent or senseless
Issues
Dumb initially meant "mute, silent, refraining or unable to speak." Old German thumb carried a dual meaning of "stupid", which eventually took over.
An oft-cited quote by Greek philosopher Aristotle reads, "Men that are deaf are in all cases also dumb.**" Historically the Greeks valued physical prowess (as evidenced by their invention of the Olympic Games) and their language, so anyone who lacked the ability to perform certain physical tasks or conduct reason (verbalise reason, rather) in their language was considered invaluable to society. The historical context is still ever present today, where we devalue disabled bodies and minds.
Using dumb reinforces these cultural values.
**Isolation to only "men" also reinforces the historical patriarchical ideas that intersected with these ableist ones.
Impact
Using the word dumb reinforces the idea that Deaf and/or non-speaking/non-verbal people do not have valuable ideas to contribute, and that we only value people based on their idea to generate ideas and goods (see Ableism)
By using ableist language, we are perpetuating violence against people who experience mental or psychological disabilities. Using this language perpetuates those systems and language of harm, regardless of our intent.
Usage Tip
Be more specific. Typically we can find an alternate definition by taking time to reflect on what emotion we're really feeling.