Welcome to Alphabet Adventures a journey through the dictionary Episode 4 .
I you didn't catch the first episode you can find it here basically it tells you what I am doing and why.
I have decided that the following quote will be a permanent fixture as I feel really captures the power of language.
“If as one people speaking the same language they have begun to do this, then nothing they plan to do will be impossible for them”
Today's Adventure.
Aberant
adj 1 Straying from the right or usual course.
2 Deviating from the ordinary or normal type.
Etymology: Man, do I love it when these things hold true to their origins.
From the Latin ad- meaning "away/from" and errare meaning to "stray".
Ok, so before we begin let me just point out that this is a massive word to tackle and in truth I'm not sure how I'm going to, its is so far beyond a way of just saying a thing is not normal.
Aberration is the force of creation and the cause of everything we know today while the aberrant are the most feared in our society.
Where to Start? The beginning of course.
If you happen to be a creationist then consider that mans birth from clay by the word of God was the deviation from the ordinary type of clay. On the other hand if you're a Darwinist consider that aberration is its driving force the true name to give to those genes that stray from their original template to be judged by trial of fitness.
The Fear.
The examples of the fear that can be found through out our history and within our cultural expressions in film and literature are near endless reflecting humanities natural aversion to the aberrant. Go re-watch the X-men series or read John Wyndhams The Chrysalids for great film and book examples.
Spartan culture prized its strength and form highly, as such infants that first survived being bathed in wine had to be presented before a council of inspection to be examined for any defects or aberration from an acceptable state.
Where the child was found to be defective it was left exposed to the elements to die that it not weaken Sparta.
Society across the world has been no less threatened by by those individuals that produce aberrant social ideas. We as humanity have stoned, crucified, persecuted and imprisoned those that rock the boat and threaten the social guide lines that had served us so well until that point.
Criticise the dominant faith persecuted, suggest the world is heliocentric persecuted, insist on equality of rights persecuted. Why? Because its human nature to protect our systems from aberrant behaviour that might threaten to disrupt them.
Need another reason to fear the aberration consider cancer, your very own cells straying from their right or usual course.
Ok, so enough of bumming you out.
The Good News
The whole of humanity, our wonderful opposable thumbs, our upright stance, our knack for language are all gifts of aberration and every major paradigm shift that has propelled us forwards represents a significant straying from the usual course.
Isn't that wonderful?
Hope you join me for the next Alphabet Adventure.
If you would like to follow me @shai-hulud in these adventures please feel free alternatively if you write to educate can I suggest the tag #steemiteducation
Feel like following and inspiring woman check out my wife @insideoutlet
Kind Regards
Peter
All images sourced from pixabay.com